PeriodicVerification&CalibrationofMicroMotionCoriolisFlowMeters

Ensuringyourflowmetersareperformingaccuratelyisessentialformanagingproductquality,
reducingwasteandrework,providingasafeworkenvironment,andtoprovideassurancethat
youvemeasuredexactlywhatwasdelivered.Howoftenaninstrumentsaccuracyisverifiedis
reallyafunctionofriskwhatifthemeasurementisoffforaweek,amonth,orayear?What
aretheconsequencesoffailingaqualityaudit,orreportinganincorrectnumbertoaregulating
agency?Isthereasafetyrisktoemployeesifaleakisnotdetectedoratankisoverfilled?To
assistcustomersinmaintainingaregularverificationschedule,oridentifyingifaflowmeter
needstobecalibrated,MicroMotionhasdevelopedacomprehensiveinsitudiagnostic
technologycalledSmartMeterVerification.AddingtheSmartMeterVerificationoptionwhen
orderingnewmetersorretrofittingexistinginstallationscangreatlyenhanceonesabilityto
assessthecurrentperformanceofagivenflowmeter.
CalibrationversusVerification
Forthepurposesofthispaper,calibrationisdefinedasacomparisonbetweenameters
readingsandaknownreferenceinordertoestablisharelationshipbetweenmeasuredand
actual.Theuncertaintyofthereferencemayvaryforinstance,thecontrolledconditionsata
MicroMotionfactoryServiceCenterprovidethebestpossibleassurancethatyourmeteris
performingtoitsoriginalspecifications(withflowstanduncertaintiesaslowas0.014%ofthe
massflowrate!).Ifshippingyourmeterisnotpreferable,ornotpossible,therearemany
methodsavailabletovalidateameterscalibrationinthefieldsuchascomparingtoamaster
Coriolismeterinstalledonsitebyafactorytrainedtechnician,volumeproving,orcatchingand
weighingonscalesorloadcells.Alternatively,verificationisdefinedasananalysisofthe
metersstructuralintegrityandanysecondaryvariablesassociatedwithflowinordertoprovide
confidencethattheoperationofthemeter(andhencetheaccuracy)hasnotbeencompromised
thisisthebasisofMicroMotionsSmartMeterVerificationtechnology.
CoriolisMeterConsiderations
ThemainattributesofaCoriolisflowmeterareboththeabsenceofanymovingpartsandthe
nonintrusivedesignofthemeasuringsensor.Therearenobearingsorrotorstowear,turbines
tobedeformed,electrodestocoat,ordegradationoforificestobeconcernedabout.However,
theflowtubesdovibratecontrolledbyadrivecoilmountedontheexterioroftheinternal
flowtubesandmostsensordesignsincludeaflowsplittingmanifoldtoevenlydividetheflow
intotwopaths.Ithasbeenourexperience,andthatofourcustomers,thatwhenappropriate
materialsareselectedCoriolismetersdonotdriftorlosetheircalibrationduringthelifeofthe
meter.Whenperformanceissuesarise,thecauseoftheproblemistypicallytraceabletothe
meterinstallation,userchangestotheelectronics,customermaintenanceproceduresora
characteristicoftheprocessthatwasnotpreviouslytakenintoconsiderationsuchas
entrainedgas,erosion,corrosion,orcoating.
VerificationInterval
Thequestionofhowoftenanyflowmetershouldbeverifiedorcalibrated,includingMicro
MotionCoriolismeters,issomethingtypicallylefttothediscretionoftheenduser.When
ContactEmersonFlowLifecycleCareforpriceandavailabilityofMicroMotioncalibrationservices:

8005226277,Flow.Support@Emerson.com
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possible,customersshouldfirstestablishanacceptableverificationschedulebasedon
companyspecificpolicy,industryacceptedguidelines,oranyotherregulationsthatmayapply
tothemortheirbusinessactivities.Andonlywhenwarranted,followingafailedSmartMeter
Verificationresultforinstance,orwhenrequiredinaccordancewitha3rdpartyrequirement
(likeAPI,AGA,orEPAstandards),shouldameterbesentbackforacompletefactoryevaluation
andrecalibration.
CalibrationInterval
Forcustomersthathavenototherwiseestablishedacompanypolicy,andhavenoindustry
guidelinestofollow,a3yearcalibrationintervalissuggestedhowever,whenequippedwith
SmartMeterVerification,thisintervalmaybeextendedindefinitelyiftestedregularlywitha
passingresultatleastonceevery3monthsisrecommended.(SeetheAppendixforaWhite
PaperdiscussingthevalidityofusingSmartMeterVerificationresultstoverifymeteraccuracy.)
RegularlyScheduledorAsNeeded
Anytimeaflowmeasurementissueissuspected,averificationshouldbeperformed.Foran
appropriatelyequippedmeter1,userscanrunSmartMeterVerificationatanytimeviathelocal
display,throughavarietyofdigitalcommunicationprotocols(likeHARTorFoundationFieldbus),
witha475FieldCommunicator,withAMSTMSuite:IntelligentDeviceManager,oreven
wirelesslyviaaSmartWirelessTHUMTMadapter.However,amorepracticalapproachisto
monitorthemetersperformanceovertime.ThismethodprovidesnotonlyasingularPass/Fail
resulteachtimeitstested,butalsoahistoryofthemetersperformance.Anysharpdeviation
orabnormaltrendwouldindicatethatfurtherinvestigationisneeded.Theabilitytoidentifya
deterioratingtrendinthedatacanenableyourmaintenancestafftopredictwhenameter
mightneedserviceinthefuture(inknownerosive/corrosiveservicesforexample).SmartMeter
Verificationcanbesettorunautomaticallyonascheduleandstoresatleast20priortestresults
inmemory2whichcanbedownloadedandanalyzedondemand.
RepairsandFieldService
Routinerepairslikereplacingelectronics,atransmitterorcoreprocessor2,4forexample,maynot
necessarilywarrantafactoryrecalibrationifthemeterwasknowntobeingoodworkingorder
priortothereplacement(basedontheresultsofregulardiagnosticverifications).Emersons
certifiedLifecycleCareFieldServicetechnicianscanperformsuchrepairsandareavailablein
mostlocationstoreducedowntimeandminimizetheimpacttoyourmaintenancepersonnel.
Servicesinclude:performingroutinemaintenance,troubleshooting,upgradingtransmitterswith
newdiagnosticswhereapplicable1,takingfieldbaselinesignatures,certifyingSmartMeter
Verificationreports,andperformingfactorycertifiedfieldcalibrations.
SmartMeterVerification
AllMicroMotionCoriolismetersequippedwithenhancedMVD3coreprocessorsorintegrally
mounted2400SSeriesTransmittersareavailablewithMicroMotionsoptionalSmartMeter
Verificationwhichverifiesthecompletehealthofthemeterwithoutbreakingtheprocessseal,
orevenstoppingflow!Inlessthantwominutes,themeterscurrentperformanceiscompared
againstaseriesofbaselinesignaturevaluestakenatthefactorytoverifythestructuralintegrity
oftheflowtubes,thesignalprocessingperformance,andthetransmitterelectronics.

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Appendix:

1. AllowSmartMeterVerificationtoReduceyourProvingandProofTestCosts(2012)
byTimothyJ.CunninghamandTomOBanion.Whitepaper.
http://www.documentation.emersonprocess.com/groups/public_public_mmisami/docu
ments/articles_articlesreprints/wp001540.pdf

2. TimeforCalibration?(2009)byJonasBerge,DirectorofPlantWebConsulting,
EmersonProcessManagementarticlefromControlEngineering:Asia.
http://www.documentation.emersonprocess.com/groups/public_public_mmisami/docu
ments/articles_articlesreprints/ar001251.pdf

3. ForEPACFR40Part98GreenhouseGasCompliance,pleaserefertotheMicroMotion
ManufacturerRecommendedCalibrationPracticesdocumentforGreenhouseGas:
http://www.documentation.emersonprocess.com/groups/public_public_mmisami/docu
ments/articles_articlesreprints/mm028843.pdf

4. Video:ReduceDowntimew/MicroMotionSmartMeterVerification,2013,(Micro
MotionYouTubeChannelwww.youtube.com/user/MicroMotionVideos):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKlNaUrckj8

1.

2.

3.
4.

SmartMeterVerification(SMV)isavailableonallMicroMotion4wireMVDTMtransmitterspairedwithan
enhancedcoreprocessor,onallintegralmount2400SSeriestransmitters,andevenonMVDTMDirect
ConnectTMsensorsinitiateddirectlybytheModbushostsystem.Retrofitofanexistingsensorfromastandard
coreprocessortoenhancedisnotpossible.Transmittersmaybeupgradedinthefieldoratthefactory.
ReplacingenhancedcoreprocessorsusedinconjunctionwithSmartMeterVerificationwillcausethemeterto
loseallfactorysignaturebaselinedataandpriorfieldtestresults.Afieldsignatureshouldbeperformed
immediatelyuponreplacementtocapturenewbaselinevaluesformetersknowntobeingoodworkingorder.
MVDTMstandsforMultiVariableDigitalMicroMotionCoriolismetersmeasurethreeprimaryvariablesinreal
time:massflow,density,andtemperaturefromwhichmanyothervariablescanbederived.
IfyourmeterwasorderedwithanaccreditedISO17025calibration,replacingelectronicsvoidstheaccreditation.
Toobtainreaccreditation,pleasereturnmetertoaMicroMotionISO17025accreditedfacilityforrecalibration.

ContactEmersonFlowLifecycleCareforpriceandavailabilityofMicroMotioncalibrationservices:

8005226277,Flow.Support@Emerson.com
20June2013

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