It is impossible just to convert a model from CAESAR II into START-PROF and simply run analysis.
Dr Alex Matveev – START Prof development, support and training team
START-PROF is high level modern software using object-oriented piping model (like excel) with automated cells, CAESAR II is low level old-style spreadsheet-based software (like notepad), where user need to do all calculations manually and type the numbers. It’s hard to interpret and convert the data in free form from notepad into Excel automatically and predict the human logic in each case.
A few examples
Spring hanger
In START-PROF the spring hanger has a rotating rod properties and spring support has a friction by default, but CAESAR II doesn’t have it. CAESAR II users are adding the rotating rod and friction to the springs manually, using CNODE.
For better understanding: Spring Hanger and Spring Support Reference Help
Tee object
START-PROF’s tee object has a header and branch length properties by default. But CAESAR II tee is just SIF in the intersection point. If user want to take into account the greater tee or bend wall thickness, flexibilities of the header and branch, he need to add the additional nodes manually and increase the thickness on the header and branch pipes. The FEATOOLS software is offered to help user with this hard task. So It’s quite hard to interpret all the user’s manual input features and convert it into START-PROF’s standardized high-level tee and bend objects.
For better understanding: Tees Reference Help
Piping Connection to Pressure Vessels
START-PROF has a “Nozzle” object that automatically allows to take into account the nozzle movements due to vessel thermal expansions, flexibilities, bulging effect, check the allowable loads. In CAESAR II user create the nozzle-vessel model manually using CNODE. It’s quite hard to imagine what user was thinking when creating this or that piping model with nozzle.
For better understanding: see Reference Help
And we can continue this list indefinitely. Of course PASS Team made sure that most of the typical models are converted as correctly as possible. But it is impossible to foresee everything. Therefore, they are constantly improving the converter. But it still not 100% perfect. It’s impossible to convert any data created by human in notepad into the excel and expect successful calculations.
Therefore any automatic conversion of the model require the manual polishing with a person, who knows START-PROF software.
GOST 32388 is not ASME B31
FLUIDS & Co is offering such paid service from PSRE that have the necessary experience into CAESAR II and START-PROF. They do such job for different companies who need to check the model created in CAESAR II using GOST 32388 code.
And please keep in mind that ASME B31 calculations are not accepted in Russia. The GOST 32388 (process piping), RD 10-249 (power piping), SP (gas and oil transmission pipelines) calculations are required.
Also I may say that usually that model doesn’t satisfy the GOST 32388 requirements, because the GOST code is completely different from ASME B31 and have a own 50 year history.
FLUIDS & Co may provide you detailed documents presenting differences between CAESAR II and START-PROF as well as between GOSt 32388 and ASME B31.
Just contact us.