DNV Software (Oslo, Norway; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-533) and The SimSci-Esscor unit of Invensys (Lake Forest, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-534) have developed a link between the former’s Phastfx flammable-effects-software module and the latter’s Visual Flow safety-system-design software. The link allows process engineers to quickly and easily estimate a wide range of flammable effects during design work.
Phastfx (a subset of Phast) contains the major flammable and explosion models, including jet flame, pool fire and BLEVE (boiling-liquid, expanding-vapor explosion). Visual Flow is a tool for designing, documenting and modeling safety systems, pressure-relief networks and general plant fluid flow systems. With the new link, Visual Flow users can now quickly and accurately consider key process-safety issues earlier in the design phase, says SimSci-Esscor. (for more on designing-in plant safety, see pp. 30–36).