babsy, the program conception

babsy is a module based program or library system which is up to date with the national and international standards and regulations. Using babsy enables you to do fast and efficient computations of vessel or piping components subject to pressure and temperature loads. A great advantage is the 'jobcode' strategy. This is an efficient way to store your input data for repetition as a batch. using this technique you can do variants, simulate a complete vessel at different temperature/pressure-conditions or even generate a refinery's pipe classes in an unbelievable short time. It's also a good method to reduce the unneeded jobs:
You all know the situation. Your calculation is ready, you've done an excellent job and you've spent a convenient time to get it ready. Just now, the buyer spoils it and requires a new working pressure and temperature. Do it again ? No !
Just read in your jobfile and start it. In worst case, babsy shows you which parts are overloaded and which thicknesses would be applicable. Another run does the final work. Maximum 5 minutes !
By the way, a mutant of the babsy system is WNCALC, a specialized compilation for refinery piping classes, which gets its geometrical data of tees, reducers and so on from a database. WNCALC is used by Miro, Mineraloelwerke Oberrhein in Karlsruhe, a sub of DEA and VEBA Oil. If you're interested in more inormation, please contact us
The babsy modules are availiable for DOS, 16bit window 3.11, 32-bit windows 95/98 and real NT4.0. Microsoft announced a beta-trial of windows 2000 for us in august 99. I don't think it to be a problem. At a long term run, MS-DOS will become extinct, also the 16-bit windows 3.11. But by now a lot of our clients refuse to leave the MS-DOS-based version 7.5 which is famous for it's easy use, compactness, toughness and incredible speed. So we're in to support it furthermore and we do it !
Following descriptions refer exclusively on the windows versions. It has a comprehensive online-help an a well done paper/CD documentation including examples (one client assured us that the professional documentation was the kick-off for his order), but for daily work you won't need it because all input data is explained by text, by variable name, unit and geometry data in addition by a graphic scalable (!) display. In this way babsy is a real self-explaining system for each competent vessel- or piping engineer. If you try babsy for the first time, you should make yourself comfortable with it's issues to get the most out of it. If you want to jump right in between, don not miss to read the (two pages are enough!) 'rules in an overview'
Regulations and standards aren't static, so not the program system. We try to keep it up to date. But for special applications we need you also to keep us informed. That's symbiosis. On the other hand we give tips concerning standards, hardware and software for free.
Since the first installation of babsy in 1984 till now the dialog based input system which led to a table type and editable input summary (under DOS) was the fastest and most comprehensive approach for an effictient job. The user had to enter only an absolute minimum of unique data in contrarary to the fashion database table type concept, which often left the user in an indifferent stadium: Is data input for this item necessary or not ?
But our DOS approach wasn't applicable in a windows based system. A static table, which contains all possible input data (think of all possibilities of a flat head or a tube sheet) was no practicable solution in our opinion.
The optimum of both concecpts is the dynamic table, which adjusts itself while more data is entered. This is the core of babsies user interface. Beside the dynamic table, we used only a few controls to ensure an easy to use an homogeneous interface. We refused to overload the form with a lot a tiny, unrecognizable buttons which are additional iconized symbols of functions in the menuline and concentrated on a more puristic philosophy. Maybe not trendy, but unconfusing. In the main menu which is presented directly after loading babsy, all modules and functions are called. The upper bar shows a menu bar with standard functions. The tabale shows all modules, which are activated by double-clicking, but stop !
Babsy is easier to use than most standard applications, because
Vessel01.jpg - 11000 bytes A typical pressure vessel is an assembly of items as cylinder shells, heads, openings/nozzles, flange connections and so on which all have to be computed at common conditions: pressure and temeprature. Project overhead data such as project #, client, date, engineer also are constant for all the paaerwork. To ease up input, this data, this data is entered in form 'general data', a main menu item.
Only few materials are needed to build the vessel. All nozzle elements may be of the same material. So the next step is to choose some material, either automatic with support by the database or, in minor cases, manually. Babsy provides you with So, the general workflow is as follows:
For further information see 'integrated data and standards'.

babsy assists you with a lot of preselections. As an example, your material first selected becomes the main material, which acts as a default. Key input or key codes accept keys in upper and lower letters, in all cases a single key. in case of optional keys and numbers babsy assists you with comfortable pulldown menus, marked by a black triangle. More information to this topic may be found in examples.