Creating a valve with more than 4 ports?

[phil.cooper]

we have valves with more than 4 ports (up to 6).

When creating a valve in the catalogue, there doesnt seem to be an option for creating a valve with more than 4 ports.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

[phil.cooper · Accepted solution]

Sorted it.

It only gives the option to add 1-4 ports but you can type in a number instead, and that works perfectly.

[Attila.Vallyon]

Only problem you might have later when you generate ISOs.

[phil.cooper]

why would this be a problem?

[Attila.Vallyon]

Right now the P3D isogen support only port numbers up to 4, and the port centerlines should cross each other in one point and have to be perpendicular to each other.

I know because I have done a lot of different kinds of custom geometry imported valves already.

You can set up any kind of valves with a lot of ports, but the software will not generate proper isos.

You can see the iso centerline when you select a pipe element and see the red centerline.

[phil.cooper]

is there anyway to get around this? or is this due to be fixed in the next release?

[milan_blom]

I don't know what kind of valves you mean, but we use Alfa Laval Unique Mixproof valves (se link)

http://www.alfalaval.com/solution-finder/products/unique-mixproof-valve/Pages/Unique-mixproof-valve....

Apparantly you can model them, but generating an isometric is problematic at the moment, although I understand Autodesk is working on it (no ETA however).

We came up with a workaround ourselves using 3-way, 4-way and/or angle valves. We use one valve per stage, connecting them with a threaded connection (so no weld is generated). We made the parts out of a valve per stage with the threaed end(s) to connect two valves and one or two process ends with the endcondition you need.

This looks great on isometric and is very flexible while routing. The only downside is that you get two lines on the BOM.