| Applies To | |
| Product(s): | AutoPIPE |
| Version(s): | ALL; |
| Area: | Import |
| Date Logged & Current Version | Sept. 2018 11.04.00.10 |
Problem:
The following is found in the MSG log file:
*** ERROR: CANNOT PUT VALVE AT THIS POINT. VALVE IGNORED
Why, and how to avoid?
Solution:
There are certain restrictions where an AutoPIPE component can or cannot be placed. This message simply states that a given valve cannot be placed at a specific location. One such location would be the first component on the branch of a Tee. Remember that a tee is currently a singe node point at the center-line intersection the run piping and the branch piping. If a valve was to be manually modeled in AutoPIPE as the first component on the branch of a Tee the following would have been displayed:
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Error
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E38-95: Cannot insert component after a tee. Try inserting a pipe
run point after tee equal in length to the tee leg. Then
insert component after that run point.
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OK
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Therefore, when importing a model that tries to perform the same task, the error message above is displayed.
Workaround:
Locate and Modify the converted NTL file, insert a pipe run point after the tee equal in length to the tee leg before the valve component is added.
Example:
Test .PCF was created by Smartplant, when imported into AutoPIPE the program aborted the import process. In the Test.MSG file was the error message,
VALV 11 NS -0.350 0.350 0.000 NS 1.720
*** ERROR: CANNOT PUT VALVE AT THIS POINT. VALVE IGNORED.
Open the folder where the Test.PCF file is stored and locate the newly created TEST.NTL file created by the translator:
Open the file using any text editor program (i.e. Notepadd ++, MS Word, Ultra Edit, etc..) and locate the offending valve(s) (note, there maybe more than one location that needs to be fixed in a model)
Insert a Pipe card after the Pipe properties call out.
Save the file and now try to Open the new NTL file in AutoPIPE.
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Confirm
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Import process successful. Review warning messages :
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Yes No Cancel
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Question: why did the first 2 valves above need to be manually fixed but the 3rd valve was OK in the above image?
Answer: Segment creation order.
Note the green segment where the valve is located was segment #3, where the Cyan colored piping was found to be segment #4. The Segment #3 (green) was drawn before Segment #4 (Cyan).
Apparently, AutoPIPE allows the user to connect a pipe to a valve node point so long as the valve was drawn first and the pipe making the connection was drawn afterwords. Otherwise the application has logic that prevents the user from first creating a tee and then adding a valve to the branch as the first component. This logic holds true of importing files. In any event the model will need to be manually corrected before analyzing the model.
A new enhancement will be logged to help with this import issue.