xstream

You need accuracy

Compressible Transient Accuracy

Model shocks, reflections, choking, and heat transfer with a transient solver built for gas/steam upsets so pressures and temperatures are predicted that you can act on.

Event-Driven Operations

Simulate trips, valve/damper moves, and emergency shutdowns with timed or conditional events to verify procedures and interlocks before you run them in the plant.

Blowdown Evaluation

Predict depressurization timelines, relief flows, and temperature drops to check allowable limits at headers, tie-ins, and downstream consumers.

Developed by Engineers, for Engineers

Compressible transient solver

Model pressure waves and shocks in gas and steam networks during startups, trips, and emergency actions.

Method-of-Characteristics–based transient solution for compressible flow
Tracks pressure, temperature, density, velocity, and Mach number over time
Handles subsonic to choked flow and reflections at junctions and area changes
Includes pipe/duct heat transfer with temperature-dependent properties

Equipment & valve transients

Capture real equipment and control behavior during operational events.

Compressor transients with speed profiles and staging (start/stop, ramping)
Time-dependent valve actions (Cv/Kv/K vs. time), regulators, and relief devices
Simulate trips, restarts, damper moves, and ESD closures with event sequencing
Check operating limits such as approach to choke, minimum flow, or surge margins

Blowdown, venting & ESD analysis

Evaluate depressurization and emergency sequences to protect assets and people.

Model unit/header blowdowns, isolation steps, and relief/vent interactions
Predict time histories for pressures, temperatures, and mass flow to stacks or headers
Compare relief setpoints, vent paths, and equipment configurations across scenarios
Verify allowable limits at tie-ins, branches, and downstream consumers

Workflow, visualization & data exchange

Build, compare, and communicate models efficiently.

Scenario Manager to maintain alternatives in one file with inheritance and comparisons
Time-history graphs, enveloping plots, animations, and color-mapped network results
Excel import/export for model data and results handoff
Layout imports from common piping/duct formats to accelerate model creation
Color-mapped results to highlight bottlenecks, shocks, and choking
Configurable reports and model snapshots for reviews and handoffs

Boundary conditions & controls

Represent real plant interfaces and the events that drive compressible transients.

Pressure, mass flow, and temperature sources with schedules and ramps
Time-varying restrictions (dampers, nozzles) and area changes
User-defined events for trips, interlocks, and control sequences
Enforce allowable limits (pressure, temperature, Mach) with design alerts

Fluids & property libraries

Use reliable thermophysical data for accurate compressible-transient results.

Real-gas and ideal-gas options with temperature- and pressure-dependent properties
Steam and common industrial gases available; add custom fluids and mixtures
Define gas composition by mass or mole fraction for property calculations
Set reference conditions and units consistently across the model

Pulsation frequency analysis (PFA Module)

Quantify pulsations and avoid acoustic resonance in gas/steam networks.

Build an acoustic network model and compute natural frequencies and mode shapes
Evaluate pulsation amplitudes versus acceptance limits across operating points
Identify resonance risks at headers/branches and test mitigation options
Size and place pulsation control devices (bottles, accumulators, chambers, orifices)
Use spectral plots and envelopes to document compliance and compare designs

See All xStream Capabilities

Datacor Pipe Flow Modeling is built for professionals who design, analyze, and operate complex fluid systems.

From plant engineers to consulting firms, Datacor Pipe Flow Modeling Solutions empowers users to optimize performance, troubleshoot issues, and ensure safe, efficient operations. If your work depends on understanding and improving piping and fluid flow systems, Datacor is your trusted partner.

Questions?

We have answers! Here are some of the most common questions we hear from engineers and companies evaluating xStream. Topics include transient events, real-gas effects, heat transfer, modeling capabilities, boundary conditions, valve and relief behavior, visualization tools, and model size. Don’t see your question? Reach out to our team for personalized support.

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Does xStream handle sonic choking?

xStream accurately models sonic choking at all three possible geometric conditions. See Sonic Choking in the Help Documentation for more information.

How is xStream different from Arrow?

xStream is a transient compressible-flow solver for time-varying events (pressure waves, shocks, ESD sequences), while Arrow is a steady-state tool for sizing and balancing gas/steam networks.

Does xStream support real-gas behavior and heat transfer?

Yes, xStream can use temperature- and pressure-dependent gas properties and models heat transfer along pipes/ducts and across equipment during transients.

Can xStream model liquid waterhammer or two-phase flow?

No, xStream is for single-phase compressible (gas/steam) transients; use Impulse for liquid waterhammer analysis.

What boundary conditions and events can I define?

You can specify pressure, mass flow, and temperature sources with scheduled ramps; trigger time-based or event-based actions (trips, starts, ESD closures, valve/damper moves); and sequence operations to mirror real plant procedures.

How are valves, regulators, and relief devices modeled in transients?

Define time-dependent opening profiles (Cv/Kv/K vs. time), set regulating behavior for pressure-control devices, and model relief/vent operation, including choked flow, during blowdown and upset scenarios.

What visualization and reporting does xStream offer?

Animate pressure/flow/Mach over time, create time-history and envelope plots, apply color mapping to highlight shocks or choking, and export figures or reports for design reviews.

How large can my model be, and what affects run time?

xStream supports large, plant-scale networks; performance depends on network size, chosen time step and total run time, and physics options (e.g., heat transfer and real-gas properties).