Completely free and anonymous downloads :-
You need to download AAINFO.EXE first by clicking on the button below and saving it on your computer. When run, you can choose EASYSHP and my other FREE software packages as required. For more information, see Program 1 of 11 on my HOME page.
Introduction :-
EASYSHP is a completely free Sprinkler Hydraulics Program for the EN 12845 Rules in metric units for use by sprinkler contractors, installers, designers and reviewers in the UK and Europe. It will tackle all sprinkler / spray schemes of any hazard, density, area of operation, head parameters for end-fed, looped, gridded, birdcage etc. pipework layouts. It is especially useful on the 1024x600 screens found on netbooks, nettops and tablets running Windows 7 Starter Edition, but you will obviously see more information on the bigger screens (the text size increases to compensate) - it looks quite good at 1920x1200! See below for the matching Installers Pump Data Sheet program called IPDS43 [25th May 2012].
For this program, one just goes back to a basic design of noding up and entering the pipe / head details without getting involved in the production of a "drawing" - in fact, apart from the File Options and Help parts, there are only 2 screens to see; Project and Pipes Data and Calculate and Show Results.
Project and Pipes Data
This is just a full-screen editor (like word processing or Email creation you are already familiar with) and allows you to add, amend or delete the lines of information about the job and the pipework system.
There are 20 lines of project data :-
- USE The user / owners name
- ADD The location or address of the project
- BLD The name of the building or area reference
- OCC The occupancy details
- INS The name or reference of the installation / project
- HAZ The hazard classification and if doing the most remotest / favourable design areas
- SQM The area of maximum assumed operation in sq.m eg. 260
- CON Your name and address
- DES The designers name and/or department
- DRG The references of all associated drawings
- COM Any comments you wish to add
- SHT The height of the source node, normally zero, but can be changed to make any other node number (see later) align at a specific elevation
- VEL The maximum allowable water velocity in m/s, normally 6
- 4RH A list of the 4 most remotest head node numbers and their enclosed area in sq.m eg. 132 133 142 143 9.00
- 4FH The matching list of the 4 most favourable heads as you can do both calculations on the same data
- SUP Any details about the water supply - can be left blank or options include
- NFPA to add the static pressure and another pressure / flow point eg. NFPA 6.0 5.0 3000 will construct a 1.85th law curve between those points in the next 2 lines
- CONST to maintain a constant pressure regardless of flow eg. CONST 7.5
- ZERO will cancel the next 2 lines so that the program will just calculate the minimum source duty to meet the density / minimum pressure requirements
- 11F Up to 11 flow values on a pump or water supply curve, starting at 0 L/min and going up in approx. equal increments (see NFPA, CONST or ZERO above)
- 11P Up to 11 matching pressures in bars relating to those flow values - don't forget to add in any tank heights or 85% multipliers for towns mains
- PT For pipe type - enter the type of the first section of pipe here selected from the list provided (eq. M) and then repeat it subsequently where it changes for all the following pipes (eq. H) and so on - you don't actually type in the part after the { above as that is just the program confirming the current selection. The list of available pipe types is always shown on the front page (see third screen shot below)
- HT For head type - enter the orifice size (eg. 20), the "K" factor (eg. 115), the minimum allowable area of coverage (eg. 6 or 0), the maximum allowable area of coverage (eg. 9 or 0), the required density in mm/min (eg. 10) and matching minimum operating head pressure (eg. 0.35, 0.5, 0.7 or 2 or more bars). You need to have this line before the first operating sprinkler head and then will need to repeat it subsequently where the head type / density changes for all the following heads until it changes again. The part after the { is just confirming the order of the 6 items
You do not have to remember these references, nor even include them at all or have any out of order, as the New option automatically adds them for you to complete as required. Lines that begin with " are taken as comments and are shown in green - useful for deleting pipes without actually deleting them. Just ignore the SP1 and SP2 lines as they are for future options.
Data for each pipe
Each pipe is given on a separate line, starting at the source out through the mains and distribution pipes to the ranges / branches carrying the 10-50 or more operating sprinkler heads / nozzles. One allocates NODE NUMBERS at all the junctions so formed by those pipes and these are in the range of 1 to 9999. I am sure these are familiar to you all as most hydraulics programs written in the last 30 or more years uses these unique identifiers. However, if you are new to hydraulics, then I can Email a detailed instruction list to help you start with EASYSHP. For each pipe to the most remote and/or most favourable design areas, we need :-
- "From" node - the end nearest the source (and apart from the first pipe connecting to the water supply or source), needs to have been given before as a "To" node eg. 100
- "To" node - the opposite end and usually a higher number when you are numbering away from the source eg. 110 and will need to match another used number within looped, gridded, birdcage etc. systems
- Nominal size in the range of 20 to 300mm, matching the PT line quoted before - if you enter an incorrect value (say 33), then the program will choose the nearest (=32) and point up the error. For a terminal end-fed system, it will also point out if a size is bigger than the upstream pipe. The list of available pipe sizes for the various pipe types is always given on the front page of EASYSHP (see third screen shot below)
- Two lengths - one being the "horizontal" length in m and the second being the "vertical" change of height (+ = up and - = down) eg. 3.0 0.0 means a horizontal run or 0.0 4.0 means a pipe 4m upwards or 4.0 3.0 means a pipe 5m long at a slope of 36 degrees. This gives complete flexibility without requiring special codes
- Fittings if any - enter 0 if just a junction or through tee or E for 1 elbow, 2T for two tees etc. as well as special control valves as stored in the program eg. 3W1GV will add 3 welded elbows and a gate valve - the list of fittings is always shown on the front page of EASYSHP so is quite easy to check
- Where this pipe ends at a operating head / nozzle and we are doing the MOST REMOTEST design area (as in HAZ line) then add R and the matching area of coverage in sq.m eg R 9.0 will add a head of type HT so long as the area is between the min / max areas quoted. If we are doing the MOST FAVOURABLE design area then add F and the area eg. F 6.56
- That completes a line of pipe data eg. 100 110 150 0.0 1.5 GV or 156 157 32 3.0 0.0 T R 8.5 You only need a simple "space" between items as the program will line them up itself when you press [Enter]. You may find you just need "from" "to" size length for most pipes
- To cut down on repetitive data entry, you can quote a ] reference eg. ]RISE or ]A at the end of the first occurence of a common pipe and then when it repeats further down the list, you just give the "From" and "To" nodes and its match eg. 234 244 [RISE or 5677 5688 [A - the second Demonstration example in EASYSHP shows this better - so when you change the size, length or fittings etc in the first ] pipe, they will automatically be copied to all the [ repeats.
At each time you add a pipe or make a change, the data is checked and informative warning messages given on screen (and colours up the appropriate lines) and the running totals displayed on the top line, as shown on the above screen. The [Enter] key is used to add new pipes (or other lines) and to insert a line, just press [Enter] when the | cursor is at the far left hand edge and then the [up arrow] key to move into the blank line so the new data can be typed in, pressing [Enter] again when done. You can also use the normal cut/paste or delete characters or complete lines.
Calculate and Show Results
The only other screen that you will normally see is the full results presentation, just by clicking on the TAB shown :-
If there are some problems with no flow in some pipes, excessive velocities or pressure drops or some heads are below the specified densities / minimum pressures (when balancing to a pump curve) then some warning / error messages are given but usually you just need to look through the minimum / maximum summaries and columns of data about the operating heads / nozzles and hydraulically significant pipes (they will be coloured up to match any warnings). Just press PgUp, PgDn, Home, End or use the scroll bars to move up and down the set of lines as you need or click on the Print option for a hard-copy or create a PDF file with a printer driver from www.dopdf.com if your Reviewer requires these. However, it is much easier to Email them your (text only) data file as they can also have this free program for themselves on their own computers.
If you want to try some different data, just go back to the Project and Pipes Data, make some changes, then click on Calculate and Show Results again - what could be easier? There are NO complicated options to learn or set sequences to follow or lots and lots of mouse clicking all over the screen - just two displays to review - everything about the data is in one place and all the results are shown all together. If you don't have any operating heads or some other serious error, then the Calculate and Show Results tab will be hidden until you correct the problem but you can still click on the top blue line to recheck the data and get it back.
I have obviously checked it as correct with my other hydraulics program as well as those from other suppliers by running jobs with the same data.
Pipe types / sizes / fittings
I have elected to store all the pipe types, sizes and fittings within the program so that everybody using it will get the same answers. You can therefore just attach the simple text data files to your email for the reviewer / authority having jurisdiction, who can also have the latest program for free, rather than just printing the results or emailing static PDF files. However, you may need to email me details of any additional pipe and fitting types applicable to your projects in your country as you cannot expect me to know them all!
INSTALLERS PUMP DATA SHEET PROGRAM - IPDS43
[25th May 2012] A FREE standalone program for the calculation of the Qcap and Qmax values for the Installers Pump Data Sheet as the EN12845 and similar Sprinkler Rules in the same format as EASYSHP, so can also be used with HYD and older programs that do not include such an option. You just enter the flows, pressures and highest heads for the most remote / favourable design areas as well as the pump / tank details. These are typed in on simple "tabbed" data entry screens and you can view the resulting graph on the same screen - the tank information is shown above. When you first start IPDS43, it displays some "Help" as I am sure most of you are quite familiar with such programs :-
I first did such a 'graph plotting' program on the Amstrad PCW in 1986, followed by one for MS.DOS a few years later, initially for CGA, then EGA and VGA screens. I did the QCAP one for Windows 95 in 1997 and another one for the CEN Rules but this was not released because it confirmed that the 70 / 140 % requirement was never going to work! When I produced AACALC7 in 2009, I integrated the 'graph' part with the full hydraulic calculation of the most remote and favourable design areas, so you didn't have to type in those values. However, the pump manufacturers do not permit any third parties to copy their flow / pressure values into computer programs, so you must type these in, each time, for yourselves. The final screen-shot shows (in an exaggerated fashion) that you can view the data and the graph on the same screen and that I calculate a smooth pump curve between the 8 flow / pressure points you enter. IPDS43 is set for a 1024 x 768 screen so will work on any laptop or desktop computer but it does look a bit daft on a 1920 x 1080 HD screen!
Don't forget that you need to download AAINFO.EXE first - see top of page.