The latest version of INSTED, or INSTED Version 12.1, was released in September 2020. This represents a major enhancement over INSTED Ver 11.3. The enhancements are as follows
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The “Fin Code” capability has been added. This capability allows you to save your fin configurations in storage and retrieve them in future for use in other projects.
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More options for flow rate specification. You can now specify volume flow rate, mass flow, and frontal-area-based velocity for the two streams in your HEX.
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Addition of Standard United States atmosphere properties to INSTED Database. Since heat exchangers are often used at altitudes where fluid properties can be significantly different from their values at STP, INSTED now supports the use of air properties at elevated heights, using the US Standard Atmosphere data. Elevations corresponding to the troposphere and part of the stratosphere (about 10 km below the stratopause), are now supported. You may access this database item for the pressure and temperature and/or the thermophysical properties of absolute viscosity, specific heat at constant pressure, thermal conductivity, or the density.
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Addition of ethylene glycol/water mixture data to INSTED Database. The built-in database has been modified to add the properties of ethylene glycol/water mixtures for volume percentage between 0 and 100% ethylene glycol. Percentage in terms of the mass of ethylene glycol is also supported. The effects of temperature are supported.
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Addition of more solid/fluid items to INSTED Database. The properties of Aluminum Alloy 3003 have been added to the built-in INSTED solid properties database under the “Metallic Solid” category. Also, the properties of Dowfrost (with 30%, 40%, and 50% propylene glycol by volume) have been added; as have those of Dowtherm 4000 (with 30%, 40%, and 50% ethylene glycol by volume).
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Addition of sample custom/variable fluid data to INSTED Database. In the new version of INSTED, a collection of custom (variable thermophysical properties) data of certain fluid mixtures has been added to the built-in INSTED database, which you can copy into your project. The added fluid mixtures are: Ethylene Glycol/Water (30/70 by volume), Ethylene Glycol/Water (40/60 by volume), Ethylene Glycol/Water (50/50 by volume), Ethylene Glycol/Water (60/40 by volume), Ethylene Glycol/Water (70/30 by volume), DOWFROST (Propylene Glycol 30% by volume), DOWFROST (Propylene Glycol 40% by volume), DOWFROST (Propylene Glycol 50% by volume), DOWTHERM 4000 (Ethylene Glycol 30% by volume), DOWTHERM 4000 (Ethylene Glycol 40% by volume), and DOWTHERM 4000 (Ethylene Glycol 50% by volume).
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Improvements to the Graphics User Interface (GUI) Design. The improvements below have been made on the GUI for INSTED:
- Quick access buttons have been added to allow you to enter fin data for flow B directly from the tab for Fin-A, and vice versa.
- Quick access menu buttons have been added to allow you to directly save projects in sub-tabs.
- The fin geometry illustration figure for offset strip fin has been updated.
- The fin geometry illustration figure for herringbone fin has been updated.
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Addition of on-screen Help/Tips. The enhancements below have been made in order to enhance your understanding of certain terminologies and input items:
- Quick access buttons have been added to allow you to enter fin data for flow B straight from the tab for Fin-A, and vice versa.
- Tips have been added to clarify the term “Viscosity”.
- Tips have been added to clarify the term “Offset Pitch” for the offset-strip fin.
- Tips have been added to clarify the term “Wavelength” for the herringbone fin.
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More Unit Items have been added.
- The unit “cP” (centipoise) has been added to the drop-down unit list for dynamic viscosity.
- The unit “Btu/m” (Btu per minute) has been added to the drop-down unit list for power.
- The unit “mm” (millimeter) has been added to the drop-down unit list for length.