Piping stress analysis program for personal computers

Many piping stress analysis programs exist at present since they were recognized widely by people as the analysis software for versatile computers in the latter half of 1960s. In the aspect of function, they have become the total software including stress evaluation now. By the recent conspicuous improvement of computer performance, personal computers can do the analysis of problems that in the past, only large computers can analyze. As one of the typical examples, AUTOPIPE is described. AUTOPIPE is the program exclusively used for analyzing and evaluating the piping system subjected to operational load and external load. This software was developed aiming at making a software package that the engineers who carry out the piping design for various uses can use routinely. The program is roughly divided into four patterns, that is, GEOMETRY, ANALYSIS, POST and UTILITY. AUTOPIPE analyzes piping structure systems in conformity with the technique using stress factors stipulated in the piping codes of ANSI, ASME and others. AUTOPIPE is largely different from conventional computer software, as it is designed to be operated very easily by using the interactive processing capability and graphic function of personal computers. The processing capability, a number of the software of this kind, and AUTOPIPE family software are described. (Kako, I.)