NIST Traceable Flow Rate, Temperature and Pressure Calibration of FRM and Continuous Ambient Monitors

1
NIST Traceable Flow Rate, Temperature and
Pressure Calibration of FRM and Continuous
Ambient Monitors

• 2005 National Air Quality Conference
• 13 February , 2005
• Quality of Air Means Quality of Life

2
Introduction

• Federal, State and Tribal AQ Agencies Require
  Flow Calibration and Audits on all Gravimetric
  and Continuous PM Monitors
• Commercial Claims of Primary Flow and NIST
  Traceability are Confusing
• A NIST Traceable Volumetric Flow Rate, Ambient
  Temperature and Pressure Field Calibration Device
  Has Been Developed and NIST Verified

3
Investigation

• NIST Primary Standard vs. Flow Transfer Standard
• Requirements for a Field Calibrator
• Current Methods Available

4
NIST Primary EPA Flow Transfer Standards

• NIST Primary Standard
• Colorado Engineering Experiment Station (CEESI)
• Titanium Vessel Microbalance
• Pressurized, Evacuated and Weighed for Primary
  
• Volume.
• NIST Certified Standard
• Three Stainless Steel Venturi Certified by NIST
• Annual Certification at CEESI
• ISO Laboratory Calibration Procedure

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CEESI - NIST Primary Laboratory
6
BGI - NIST Certified Laboratory
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Requirements of a Field Calibrator

• NIST Transfer Standard. Accuracy to lt2to
  Primary
• Calibrator Field Usable to EPA FRM Specs for
• Atmospheric Conditions of Temperature
  Pressure
• Calibrator should not add artificial pressure to
  
• sampler to interfere with electronic flow
  controller
• Portable Battery Powered
• Direct Reading Records Flow Rate, Ambient
• Temperature Barometric Pressure
• RS232 Calibration Report-Digital Calibration
  Report

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Flow Transfer Standard Calibrators

• Soap Bubble Meter (Excellent for Indoor Use)
• Gilibrator (Wet)
• Frictionless Piston (Not Field Hardened,
  Piston Soiling)
• DryCal/DC-Lite (Dry)
• Orifice - Quartz Tube (Sensitive to Wind, Adds
  Pressure)
• Streamline/Chinook (Dry)
• Venturi (Field Hardened with Gust Cap, Flow,
  Temp, Press)
• DeltaCal TriCal (Dry)

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DeltaCal FRM CPM Calibrator

• Measurements
• Barometric Pressure
• Ambient Temperature
• Filter Temperature
• Volumetric Flow Rate
• Digital Output for Recording Field Data
• Software to Print Summary report

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Schematic Diagram of DeltaCal
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DeltaCal NIST Traceable Specifications

• Operable Range 30 to 40C
• 2 to 20 aLPM Model DC 1
• 10 to 60 aLPM Model DC 100
• - 1 to NIST
• Temp Sensor Range 40 to 50C
• lt - 0.5C to NIST Mercury Thermometer
• Pressure Range 400 - 800mmHg
• lt - 2mmHg to NIST Mercury Barometer

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Certificate of Calibration

• Traceable to NIST
• Recommended Annual
• Calibration
• Venturi Can Be
• Cleaned by User

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Calibrator Software Display

• Historical Record
• User Configurable
• All Readings in one Display
• Auto Resolution
• ASCII File Export
• Flow Statistics

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Summary Printed Report
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TriCal Calibrator

• Operable Range -30 to 40C
• Flow Range 0.1 to 30.0 Lpm
  
• Venturi 1 0.1 - 1.2Lpm
• Venturi 2 1.2 -6.0Lpm
• Venturi 3 6.0 - 30Lpm
• Barometric Pressure
• Ambient Temperature
• (Option) Filter Temperature

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Calibrating a Continuous BAM Monitor

• CPM Display

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One Step Auto-Calibration

• Connect Calibrator to FRM OMNI
• Connect RS232 between Calibrator OMNI
• Select Calibrate from Menu
• TriCal will Auto Calibrate OMNI Flow
• FRM OMNI Logs Calibration
• TriCal Prints Report

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Conclusions

• DeltaCal TriCal are Flow Transfer Standards
  Directly Traceable to NIST Primary
• Annual Recertification is Recommended
• Field Hardened Device with Low Pressure Drop and
  DeltaCal Includes Wind Gust Cap
• Cost Includes 4 Measurements, Rather than just
  One (Price 1695.)
• Re-Calibration by a Single Vendor (Price 150.)
• Exclusive for the PEP PM2.5 Network PM- Coarse
  Method Development Program

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Thank You

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