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NEWS RELEASE
Thermoflow Introduces PEACE, A Cost-Estimating Program for Power Plant Construction
SUDBURY, MA (June 1, 1998) – Thermoflow, Inc. is bringing PEACE to the world of power plant construction.
Drawing on a broad array of resources, Thermoflow has developed Plant Engineering and Construction Estimator (PEACE), a comprehensive, PC-based software program that provides quick and easy access to highly detailed, accurate cost estimates for all phases of power plant design, engineering and construction.
PEACE reads a file generated by Thermoflow’s well-proven GT PRO, GT MASTER or Plant Design Expert (PDE) software design programs for combined-cycle and cogeneration plants. This information is combined with an extensive, plant-specific questionnaire to automatically generate a plot plan showing the layout of major equipment, such as gas and steam turbines and boilers, and large ancillaries such as oil tanks, cooling towers and switchyards.
PEACE also includes detailed pipe-sizing routines as well as procedures for sizing foundations, ductwork, tanks, auxiliary coolers, electrical systems, motors, etc. These sizing procedures generate a highly detailed bill of material that the user can edit if desired.
PEACE then uses its built-in models to estimate the costs of commodities such as pipes and concrete; standard engineered equipment such as motors and pumps; and specialized equipment such as boilers and turbines. The program also provides construction man-hour estimates for each major task, which are used in conjunction with unit labor costs to estimate the total cost of constructing the plant.
In developing the PEACE program, Thermoflow called on a wide range of resources including consultants with many years of plant construction experience, major customers who provided engineering and cost data, and a variety of published references on commodity and equipment costs. All of this information has been used to construct simple but accurate models for the costs of material, equipment and labor for an average U.S. power plant. PEACE also has the capability to produce geographic multipliers for each category based on plant location, and this information can be adjusted by the user to obtain accurate cost estimates for plants anywhere in the world.
PEACE Version 1.0 is expected to be available by the end of July. The 1998 cost will be $10,000 per copy for the perpetual license, including one year's maintenance, with a subsequent maintenance cost of $3,000 per year. A pre-release version has been offered to key Thermoflow customers and several orders already have been received, reports Dr. Maher Elmasri, president of Thermoflow.
Thermoflow, based in Sudbury, MA, has been developing PC-based software for the design and simulation of thermal power plants since 1987. Thermoflow’s family of application-specific products includes GT PRO and GT MASTER for gas turbine-based power plants, and STEAM PRO and STEAM MASTER for steam power plants. GT PRO is the most widely used program of its type in the world, with nearly 1,000 users around the world.
Besides standard software products, Thermoflow provides custom programs for on-line or off-line simulation, monitoring and optimization of power and cogeneration plants. The company also provides consulting services for design and evaluation of power and cogeneration systems. To serve its European clients, a sister company, Thermoflow Ltd., was formed in 1992 with offices in Gloucester, U.K.