Project Manager

Dale Myers

Technical Expertise

Fred Collier, Earl Baer, Jim Brookens, Wilbur Valentine and Mike Ewan

Design/Programming

Jim Robinson

Objective

Leveraging the power of internet-based software tools, VirtualPump™ was created as a learning tool to help people acquire an understanding of how many of the major products within the steam industry function.

Discussions with people within the industry indicate that it often takes 5-10 years for people to gain a sound understanding of how many of the products work. It is our hope that this learning curve can be significantly reduced through use of these animations. We also believe the program will enhance the ability of sales representatives and engineers to explain the steam product to potential end users.

Target Audience

While we believe the program will be beneficial to both novice and experienced people working within the steam industry, we have targeted the program for the following categories of people associated with the steam industry:

• Engineers responsible for designing steam systems
• Sales and marketing representatives of steam products
• End users, including operations and maintenance personnel

Learning Strategy

The simulations build upon each other. Therefore some of more basic "sequence operation steps" shown on the simpler products are not repeated in the more complex products. This means the optimal learning strategy is to begin with the simulations from simpler products (e.g., pump/motors and condensates units) and progress to the more complex products (e.g., vacuum and deaeration units) to get a comprehensive understanding of all the various pump operations.

Disclaimer

The simulations are intended as learning aids to help a viewer understand the fundamental internal, sequence of pump operations. As a result, the images are simplified (and usually time-lapsed) illustrations of internal pump operations—they are not intended as precise representations of a product. Also, elements of the illustrations are not necessarily drawn to scale in order to enhance user readability.

Version

VirtualPump™ 1.0 was released in 2004 having a very basic set of animations. Version 2.0, completed in 2006, features modular components, enhanced animation detail, completely redrawn units, and a revamped interface.