2013MartelElectronicsCorporation

uas
Custouy
Tiansfei
Calibiation
Usingmultivariable
temperature/
pressurecalibrators
forflowmeter
calibration
MartelElectronicsCorporation
uas Custouy Tiansfei Calibiation
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MartelElectronicsCorporation
Introduction
Gascustodytransferflowcomputersrequirespecialcalibrationtoperformatoptimumaccuracy.In
custodytransferapplicationswherethebuyingandsellingofcommoditieslikenaturalgasisinvolved,
calibrationchecksareperformedfrequentlyasamatteroffiduciaryresponsibility.Forthepurposeof
thiswhitepaper,theuseofgascustodytransferflowcomputersinthenaturalgastransmissionindustry
isreferenced.
Flowcomputersneedmultiplecalibrationsinasingledevice.Inthenormalapplication3measurements
aremade,volumetricflow,static(line)pressureandtemperature.Acalculationisperformedusingthis
datatodeterminetheactualmassofthegasflowingthroughthepipeline.
Recently,severalcalibratormanufacturershavereleasednewmodelcalibratorsthattargetthis
application.ThesearereferredtoasMultiVariableTemperature/PressureCalibrators.Thesedifferfrom
thetypicalmultifunctioncalibratorinthattheyareprimarilypressurecalibratorsintendedforfielduse
withhighlyaccurateperformance.
Forthesetemperature/pressurecalibratorsspecialfeaturesthatsupportthecompletecalibrationof
naturalgasmultivariableelectronicflowmetersandothertypesofflowcomputershavebeenadded.
Thesecalibratorshavespecialfeatureslike
aninternalpressurerange
integralelectricpumpforgeneratingtestpressuresignals
externalpressuremoduleinterface
precisionRTDprobeconnection
Allofthecalibrationsrequiredfortheflowcomputercanbeperformedwithjustoneinstrument.
Whatthismeansisthatasinglesmallkitreplacesalistofequipmentthatincludesdifficulttouseitems
likedeadweighttesters,analogordigitalthermometersandadigitaltestgauge.Thisisanopportunity
forahugeincreaseinproductivitywithoutanysacrificeinperformanceorreliability.
Thesecalibratorsareavailablewithbuiltinrangesupto300psi/20bar.However,forthisapplication,a
lowpressurerangeofnomorethan30psi/2baristhemostappropriate.Sincetheyhaveanaccuracy
specificationasapercentoffullscale,itisimportanttocloselymatchthefullscaleofthecalibratorto
thescaleoftheapplicationinordertogetgoodperformance.Seethesectionbelowonunderstanding
andcalculatingsystemaccuracy.
Inadditiontothecalibratoritself,anexternalpressuremodulewithahigherrangeandahighpressure
calibrationpressuresourcewillbeneeded.AnaccessoryRTDprobeisalsorequired.Thesecalibrators
areoftenavailableinakitthatincludesalloftheseexceptthehighpressuresource.
ThesourcescantaketheformofsocalledNitrogenpackswithahighpressurecylinder.Agood
alternativeisahighpressurepneumatictestpumpcapableofgeneratingupto2000psi/140bar.Using
agasisnecessarybecauseiteliminatescontaminationoftheflowmeterwithliquidsfromatestpump.
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MartelElectronicsCorporation
Sinceusersoftenalreadyhavesuchsourcesavailable,theycancontinuetousewhattheyhaveusedin
thepastasasource.
Gas custody transfer flow computer operational theory
Custodytransferflowcomputersarecalledbyavarietyofnamesincludingelectronicflowmeters(EFMs)
andmultivariableflowcomputers,buttheyallfeaturesomecommonprinciplesofoperation.

Figure1Typicalflowmeterinstallation
1. Volumetricflowmeasurementusessometypeofflowrestrictionsuchasanorificeplateto
generateapressuredrop.Thedifferentialpressureismeasuredbytheflowcomputerasthe
primarymeasurement.Itisbasedontheprinciplethatflowvelocityisproportionaltothe
squarerootofthepressuredrop.Thevolumetricrateisessentiallycalculatedfromthevelocity
byknowingthediameterofthepipeinwhichthegasisflowing.
Themeasuredpressuredrop(differential)istypically200inchesofwatercolumn(WC)or
higher.
2. Toconvertvolumetricflowtomassflowyouneedtoknowthemasspervolumeoftheflowing
media.Theflowcomputercalculatesthatusing2additionalmeasurements,plusarangeof
factors/constantsbasedontheflowingmedia.The2additionalmeasurementsarethestatic
pressureofthegasinthepipelineandthetemperatureofthegasinthepipeline.
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MartelElectronicsCorporation
Thestaticpressureintheseapplicationsrangeswidelyfromalowofabout300psi/20bartoa
highofabout1500psi/100bar.
Thetemperatureofthegasisusuallyatambient,soitiswithintherangeofnormal
environmentalconditions.
3. Afinalconsiderationaboutflowcomputersishowtheyaretypicallyinstalledandused.
Industrialapplicationsuseeithertheanalogoutputoftheflowmeter(4to20mA)oradigital
outputliketheHARTsignaltogetdatafromtheflowmetertoacontrolsystemordata
acquisitionsystem.
Thisisgenerallynotusedingaspipelineapplications.Instead,theflowmeterisaspecialized
devicethatoperatesstandalonetomeasureandrecordthetotalmassflowthroughthe
pipeline.Thetotalisperiodicallydownloadedfromtheflowmetertobeusedinanaccounting
ofgasflowandcustodytransfer.
Theflowmetermaybepackagedwithotherelectronicdevicestobeabletoperformthis
functionoritmaybepurposemanufactured,whichisthemostcommontype.


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How to calibrate the flow computer
Eachflowcomputermanufacturerhascreatedaproprietarymethodofcalibration,buttheyallusethe
samegeneraltechnique,whichwillbedescribedhere.
Intheseproprietarycalibrations,themanufacturerhasprovidedasoftwareapplication,whichrunsona
notebookcomputer(PC).ThePCisconnectedtotheserialportorUSBportoftheflowcomputer.Inthis
way,thesoftwarebothinstructstheusertoconnectappropriatesignalstotheflowcomputer(either
pressureortemperature)andcommunicatesthatinformationtotheflowcomputersothatany
calibrationerrorsarecorrected.
NOTE
Thisprocedureisagenericdescriptionofthecalibrationprocess.Theactualprocedurewillvarybasedon
theoriginalequipmentmanufacturersdesignandinstructionsandonlocalprocessandpolicy.

Figure2TypicalCalibratorConnection

uas Custouy Tiansfei Calibiation
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MartelElectronicsCorporation
Detailed Procedure
NOTE
Thedetailedprocedureisbasedontheuseofaparticularmodelofcalibrator.Somedetailsofthe
proceduremaybedifferentbasedonwhatmanufacturerormodelofcalibratorisused.
Setup
1. TurnonthecalibratorandusethecalibratorsSETUPfunctiontoselecttheappropriatedisplay
andfunctionsetupfortheflowcomputercalibration.Thepropersetupwillprovideadisplayof
allthreesignalstobecalibrated.
internalsensorpressure(volumetricflowcalibration)
externalsensorpressure(staticpressurecorrectionfactor)
RTDtemperaturemeasurement(temperaturecorrectionfactor)

Figure3CalibratorSetupDisplay
2. Settheupperdisplay(internalpressuresensor)touseinchesofwatercolumn(inH
2
O60F)as
theengineeringunit,themiddledisplay(externalpressuremodule)tousepsiastheengineering
unitandthebottomdisplay(RTD)touseFastheengineeringunit.
3. ConnecttheexternalpressuremoduleandtheRTDprobetothecalibrator.Ifnecessary,zero
bothpressuredisplayswhileventedtoatmosphere.
4. Isolatetheflowcomputerfromtheprocess.(Itisnormallyinstalledwitha5valvemanifold.
Closingthevalvesontheprocesssideofthemanifoldwillisolateitfromtheprocess).Besureto
followlocalpolicyandprocedurewhenperformingthisstep.
Differential pressure calibration (volumetric flow)
1. Thedifferentialpressurecalibrationisperformedusingatmosphericpressureasareference,so
thelowpressureconnectionoftheflowcomputerisventedandthehighpressureconnectionis
connectedtotheportonthecalibrator.
2. ConnectthenotebookPCtotheflowcomputerserialorUSBport.UsethePCtoinitiatethe
calibrationprocess.
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3. ThePCwillinstructtheusertoapplyoneormoretestpressurestotheflowcomputer.For
example,onadevicewithafullscaledifferentialmeasurementof200WC,thetestpressures
maybe0,100and200WC.Ineachcase,itisnotnecessarytoprovidetheexactpressurecalled
forsincetheuserwillalsobepromptedtoentertheactualpressureappliedateachtestpoint.
4. Setthecalibratorpressure/vacuumcontroltothepressuremode(+)andclosetheventvalve.
PressthePUMPbuttonuntilthedesiredpressureisgenerated.Thevernierorfinepressure
controlatthebottomofthecalibratorcanbeusedtoadjustthepressureupordowninsmall
amounts.NOTE:200WCisapproximately7.2psi.Sincethepumpcaneasilyexceedthis
pressure,itmaybebesttoapplyrepeatedshortpressesofthePUMPbuttontoallowforbetter
control.Therateofpressureincreasewillbeaffectedbythevolumeofthetestsystemwith
fasterincreaseswhenthevolumeislower.
5. Whenthedifferentialcalibrationiscomplete,openthecalibratorventcontrolanddisconnect
thecalibratorfromtheflowcomputer.
Static pressure calibration
1. Forthestaticpressurecalibration,thetestpressurewillnormallybeappliedtoeitherthesame
highpressureportorboththehighandlowpressureportssimultaneously.Refertothe
manufacturersinstructionsfordetailsontheexactmethodofconnectiontoperformthistest.
Connecttheexternalmoduletotheappropriateportontheflowcomputerandtothehigh
pressuretestsource.NOTE:ifthesourcehas2ports,onecanbeconnectedtotheexternal
pressuremoduleandtheothertotheportontheflowcomputer.
2. ThePCwillinstructtheusertoapplyoneormoretestpressurestotheflowcomputer.For
example,onadevicewithafullscalestaticpressuremeasurementof1500psi,thetest
pressuresmaybe0,750and1500psi.Ineachcase,itisnotnecessarytoprovidetheexact
pressurecalledforsincetheuserwillbepromptedtoentertheactualpressureappliedateach
testpoint.
3. Usethehighpressuretestsourcetogeneratethecalledforpressuresandenterobserveddata
whenprompted.
4. Whenthecalibrationiscomplete,carefullyventthesystemanddisconnecttheexternalmodule
andpressuresource.
Temperature calibration
1. Calibrationofthetemperaturemeasurementontheflowcomputerisdonewithasingle
temperaturepointatthepipelineoperatingtemperature.
2. AtestthermowellisprovidedadjacenttotheinservicemeasuringRTDconnectedtotheflow
computer.Insertthecalibratorprobeintothetestthermowellandallowtimeforthe
measurementtoreachastablevalue.NOTE:thiscanbedonepriortothepressurecalibrations
iflocalconditionspermit.Thatallowssufficienttimetoreachstability.
3. Thiscalibrationisbasedontheconceptthatthesametemperatureismeasuredatboth
thermowellsand,therefore,themeasuredvaluesshouldbeidentical.ThePCwillpromptthe
usertoenterthevalueobservedonthecalibrator.
4. RemovetheRTDfromthetestthermowell.Thecalibrationiscomplete.
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MartelElectronicsCorporation
Wrap up
1. Followlocalpolicyandproceduresandmanufacturersinstructionsforreturningtheflow
computertoservice.
System Accuracy Determination
Inordertoeffectivelycalibrateaninstrument,thecalibratorusedmustbemoreaccuratethanthe
instrumentbysomefactor.Thefactorwillvaryaccordingtotheapplication,butitshouldbeaslargeas
ispractical.Theminimumfactorisgenerallyconsideredtobe3times.
Therationalebehindthiscomesfromatechniqueforthestatisticalanalysisoftheerrorinasystem.This
techniqueiscalledRootSquareSumorRSS.Todeterminetheerrorinasystemyoutakethesquareroot
ofthesumoftheerrorssquaredforallelementsinthesystem.Notethatthisisnotthemaximum
possibleerrorinasystem,butisthelargesterrorwhichisstatisticallylikely.
Thisformuladescribesthecalculation,whereE
t
isthetotalerrorandE
1
,etc.aretheerrorsofthe
individualcomponentsofthesystem.
E
t
= _L
1
2
+L
2
2
++L
n
2

Byusingaratiooffour,theeffectoftheerrorinthecalibratorisreducedtoasmallpercentageofthe
erroroftheinstrumentundertestandcanthereforegenerallybedisregarded.Asanalternativeto
havingacalibratorwiththeappropriateratio,usersmayelecttoderatetheperformanceofthe
instrumenttoavaluefourtimesthatofthecalibrator.
Forexample,usingacalibratorwith0.05%accuracywouldyieldaninstrumentaccuracyof0.2%.Due
tothecontinualadvancesininstrumenttechnology,calibrationtechnologymay,fromtimetotime,fail
toprovidethenecessaryratiotoenableuserstocalibratetothemanufacturersratedspecification.
Summary
Whiletheflowcomputersusedforgascustodytransferapplicationrequireregularcalibrationchecksto
maintainahighlevelofconformancetofiduciaryrequirements,newtechnologiesandproductsfrom
calibrationmanufacturersaddresstheneedsoftheindustrytobeabletoperformthesetaskswith
confidenceandimprovedproductivity.

2013
MartelElectronicsCorporation
3CorporateParkDrive,Unit1
Derry,NH03038USA
www.martelcalibrators.com