By Richard Fertell, Hamed Ershad, York Xu, Osborne Gumbs, Tammy Tran
This article is the first of a series describing how to perform liquid flow rate calibrations at fluid temperatures below +5 °C and above +90 °C. We will examine closed-loop recirculating liquid flow rigs with master flow meters for the calculations of Measurement Uncertainty for Mass Flow and Volumetric Flow, as well as the density influence on the Volumetric Flow (Vol Flow = Mass Flow/Density) and the viscosity influence on Volumetric Flow sensed by the Unit-Under-Calibration. The fluid temperature ranges during the flow rate calibration will extend from -40 °C to +5 °C and +90 °C to +200 °C. In this article, Coriolis meters serve as the master flow references for calibrating a paddlewheel/turbine meter. Viscosity and density of the fluid in the flow rig is measured to establish the behavior of the fluid sample at different temperatures and ensure the confidence of the Coriolis meter density measurement for fluid temperatures outside of the +5 °C to +90 °C range typically used for flow rate sensor calibrations. In addition, we will address other factors that influence Volumetric Flow. Read Full Article (PDF)
