At the heart of every successful engineering venture is the right tool for the job at hand. For KWL Engineering Associates Ltd. (KWL), an award-winning engineering consulting firm, that tool for hydraulic modeling has been Fluidit Heat, a dynamic hydraulic modeling software from Finnish company Fluidit. For Amber MacNeill, the Hydraulic Modeling Lead for KWL Engineering’s district energy team, it has proven to be a valuable addition to their engineering toolbox.
Discovering Fluidit
The connection between KWL and Fluidit emerged from a reference at the University of Virginia. Upon initial contact with Fluidit, Amber’s first impressions were positive, noting the company’s responsive and helpful support, coupled with the user-friendliness of the Fluidit Heat model.
Fluidit Heat in Action
Amber and her team have since used Fluidit Heat in a few projects. A standout instance involved managing significant elevation changes, reviewing pumping requirements, and pressure set points. Through Fluidit Heat, they were able to identify potential issues and constraints, effectively guiding their client’s decisions for system expansion and seasonal operation. In addition, she was able to balance multiple plants and plan and size the network for a new project. Such efficiency and accuracy would have been challenging without the support of Fluidit Heat.
Amber has also used Fluidit Heat for projects that demand efficiency over intricate GIS maps. The software’s background layers and drawing states feature has allowed the team to produce memo-ready screenshots as needed, streamlining their processes.
A Step Ahead of the Competition
When compared with other hydraulic modeling software and services, Fluidit Heat’s graphic interface stands out. The excellent customer and technical support, complemented by an invaluable wiki for support, has also set Fluidit Heat apart.
Amber praises Fluidit’s support and customer service for being helpful and prompt. The initial setup was easy, and the support team proved instrumental in familiarizing her with the software. Whenever Amber could not find answers on the support resources, she received prompt responses from the team, allowing her to keep her projects on track. Even with time zone differences, Fluidit’s remote support didn’t cause any delays in Amber’s project work.
Fluidit also proved to be highly responsive to development feedback. When Amber mentioned that auto pipe sizing would be a useful feature, Fluidit implemented it in one of the next upgrades.
The Fluidit Advantage
Amber can’t speak definitively to the ROI or cost savings that KWL has seen as a result of using Fluidit Heat. However, the reliability, accuracy, and user-friendly nature of Fluidit Heat have minimized human error in the initial modeling stages, leading to more reliable results from the get-go. It also enables efficient review and modifications, accelerating the attainment of accurate results.
As for recommendations, Amber would definitely endorse Fluidit Heat to other utility and engineering companies. She believes that Fluidit’s care for their software, services, and customers is evident and they have consistently met KWL’s modeling and service expectations. In a world where the right tool can make all the difference, Fluidit Heat is making its mark.
Read more about Fluidit Heat here.