GUI For A Virtual Pipeline Simulation Testbed

By,Revathi Manni Ranganathan

Major Professor:Dr.Virgil Wallentine

Agenda

Pipeline Editor – Introduction

Previous Work by Oyenan

New Requirements

Design and implementation

User Feedback

Demo

Pipeline Editor- An introduction

Tool to create and manipulate virtual pipeline

systems.

Window to the Simulators

Cut, Copy, Paste, drag and drop

Store / Retrieve pipeline system in .vps format

Visualize the results

Pipeline Editor

Developed using Java Swing, JGraph, Oracle 8i

Can be started on a remote machine

Requirements – Java Web Start, Web browser,

JDBC driver

Connects to the Simulator on the remote server

JGraph

Graph drawing component purely in Java Swing

Based on Model-View-Controller framework

Graph Theory + Swing Architecture = JGraph

Provides cut, copy, paste, drag & drop, zoom

Pipeline Editor – A snapshot

Earlier Work by Oyenan

Basic Version of the GUI

Editor built on top of JGraph

Modeling of pipeline components – pipes,

compressors

Job Control Optimizer

Result Visualization

New Requirements

Connector – generic type

Modification of Pipe

Compression Units

Connection to the Parallel Simulator

Connection to the Sequential Simulator

Connector

Generic Type Component

Multiple incoming and outgoing branches

Number decided by the user at run time

Replaces 2-way & 3-way Split, 2-way & 3way

Combine

Pipes

Should support visualization of the leftmost and

rightmost nodes

Implemented by class MyEdge – extension of

JGraph’s Edge

Required modification in DataCell

Pipe – Snap Shot

Compression Units

Generic Type Component

Comprises of a Driver and Compressor

Four Basic types – Reciprocating Engine – Reciprocating

Compressor Gas Turbine – Centrifugal Compressor Reciprocating Engine – Centrifugal

Compressor Gas Turbine – Reciprocating Compressor

Compression Unit - Design

Different models under each type

Properties can be grouped meaningfully –

Simulation Data, Operational Data, Manufacturer’s

Data

Type and model name can be chosen at run time.

New models can be created and stored in the

database

Compression Units-Snap Shot

Database Design

Adaptations

Customized UserObject for each component

Customized method to draw property panel

Provision to group properties meaningfully

GUI- Parallel Simulator

Connection is through sockets

Two separate threads are used to avoid GUI

freezing

SimulatorClient – send user commands

SimulatorDataClient – get data and status

GUI-Parallel Simulator

GUI to Parallel Simulator-Snap Shot

GUI-Sequential Simulator

Communication is through text files in ASCII

format

Input text file contains graph data

Output text file contains simulation data

Option to set global parameters available for

input text file.

GUI-Sequential Simulator

GraphParser – Input text file generator

Covert .vps to .txt

Sequential Simulator - GUI

The Sequential Simulator generates output in

standard text format.

The text file is parsed by the GUI to create a

live simulation effect

Simulation is the same as replay

Sequential Simulator - GUI

GUI to Simulators - Supported Features

Simulate (Only in Parallel version)

Replay

Stop

Pause / Resume

Step / Skip Forward

Step / Skip Backward

Class Diagram

User Feedback “The GUI application fully implements these features

and let users construct a natural gas pipeline system via drag-and-drop. The interface is very friendly. It can send requests to the server (simulator) and display the results back from the server in real-time. In the future, more components may be supported. The display of the results may be improved. In a word, the GUI is excellent.”

- Liubo Chen, Programmer – Parallel Simulator

“The GUI for the VPST is a very useful tool for the user to create any pipeline network and run the simulation process. The GUI in its present form contains all the basic components that a Pipeline network comprises off.

- Ravi Kiran Addanki, Programmer – Sequential Simulator

Conclusion

The new requirements have been satisfied

The basic software has been adapted to meet

the complex demands

The tool is fully functional with minimum

system requirements

Pipeline Editor in Action -A Demo

References

www.jgraph.org Oyenan Wallemitien’s documentation on the

Pipeline Editor www.java.sun.com

Acknowledgements

Dr. Virg Wallentine

Dr. Dan Andresen

Dr. Prakash Krishnaswamy