Manual CFS-830 PDF

USERS MANUAL
USERS MANUAL
CFS-830
(Shown with optional with optional Gas Injection and Totalizer.

Photo may differ slightly from your system.)
Core Flood System

2014 V1a-2062B
CORETEST SYSTEMS, INC. 400 Woodview Ave., Morgan Hill, CA 95037 USA Phone: (408)778-3771 Fax: (408)779-9418
USERS MANUAL
1 Warranty, Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability..................................1-1

2 OVERVIEW OF SYSTEM ...................................................................2-1
2.1 *Theory of Operation ......................................................................................... 2-1
2.2 *Location of Components in System ............................................................... 2-2
2.3 *Flow Schematic ................................................................................................ 2-6
2.4 Overview of the Computer Data Acquisition System ..................................... 2-7
2.5 *Utility and Floor Space Requirements ............................................................ 2-8
2.6 Uncrating and Inspection .................................................................................. 2-8
3 DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENTS .....................................................3-1
3.1 Computer Data Acquisition and Control System ............................................ 3-1
3.1.1 *Installing the Computer.............................................................................................. 3-1
3.1.2 Starting the Quizix and Coretest Software .................................................................. 3-2
3.1.3 *Description of the Main Software Screen ................................................................... 3-5
3.1.4 *Entering Sample Information ................................................................................... 3-13
3.1.5 Config Pull-Down Menu ............................................................................................ 3-14
3.1.5.1 *Alarms ............................................................................................................................................ 3-14
3.1.5.2 *Calibration ...................................................................................................................................... 3-16
3.1.5.3 *Logging (Data)................................................................................................................................ 3-17
3.1.5.4 Graphs ............................................................................................................................................. 3-18
3.1.5.5 *Options ........................................................................................................................................... 3-19
3.1.6 AutoSequencer ......................................................................................................... 3-21
3.1.7 *System I/O Map....................................................................................................... 3-26
3.2 Pore Pressure Measurement System ............................................................. 3-28
3.2.1 Standard System WITH Axial Pressure Taps(2) ....................................................... 3-28
3.2.1.1 Schematic of System ....................................................................................................................... 3-28
3.2.1.2 Computer Controlled Differential Pressure Bypass Safety Valves ................................................... 3-28
3.2.1.3 Filling the System with Oil ................................................................................................................ 3-29
3.2.2 Pressure Transducer Calibrations ............................................................................. 3-30
3.3 Pump(s)............................................................................................................. 3-31
3.3.1 Quizix Pumps (optional) ............................................................................................ 3-31
3.3.2 Pump Control via the Coretest Software ................................................................... 3-32
3.4 Accumulators ................................................................................................... 3-35
3.4.1 Piston Accumulators ................................................................................................. 3-35
3.4.1.1 Rebuild the Piston Accumulator ....................................................................................................... 3-36
3.5 Coreholder ........................................................................................................ 3-36
3.5.1 CHG-106 .................................................................................................................. 3-36
3.5.1.1 Horizontal and Vertical Setups......................................................................................................... 3-38
3.5.1.2 Loading the Core ............................................................................................................................. 3-39
3.5.1.3 *Fill the Coreholder Annulus and Apply Confining Pressure ............................................................ 3-40
3.5.1.4 Unloading the Core .......................................................................................................................... 3-42
3.5.1.5 Rebuild the Core Holder .................................................................................................................. 3-42
3.5.1.6 Replacing the Confining Sleeve ....................................................................................................... 3-44
3.5.1.7 VERY IMPORTANT Coreholder Notes ............................................................................................ 3-46
3.5.1.8 Axial Pressure Taps ......................................................................................................................... 3-47
3.5.1.9 INSTALLING AXIAL PRESSURE TAPS IN A SLEEVE ................................................................... 3-49
3.6 Confining (Overburden) System ..................................................................... 3-68
3.6.1 PCI-112 Computer Automated System ..................................................................... 3-68
3.6.1.1 PCI System Plumbing Schematic .................................................................................................... 3-70
3.6.1.2 Operation via Computer Control ...................................................................................................... 3-70
USERS MANUAL
3.6.1.2.1 Confining Pressure System Modes Of Operation ........................................................3-71

3.6.1.2.2 Setting the Effective Confining Pressure Setpoint .....................................................3-72
3.6.1.3 *Fill the Coreholder Annulus and Apply Confining Pressure ............................................................ 3-73
3.7 Backpressure Regulator.................................................................................. 3-75
3.7.1 DBPR-5 (recommended) .......................................................................................... 3-75
3.7.2 DBPR-5 Electronic Control Box ................................................................................ 3-76
3.7.2.1 Front Panel ...................................................................................................................................... 3-76
3.7.2.2 Rear Panel ....................................................................................................................................... 3-78
3.7.3 DBPR-5 Valve Box ................................................................................................... 3-79
3.7.4 Basic Theory of Operation of the DBPR-5 System .................................................... 3-81
3.7.5 How the DBPR-5 Valve Works.................................................................................. 3-83
3.7.6 CONTROL BOX FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION AND USE ...................................... 3-1
3.7.6.1 MANUAL / AUTO SWITCH ................................................................................................................ 3-1
3.7.6.1.1 Manual Mode ..................................................................................................................3-1
3.7.6.1.2 Auto Mode ......................................................................................................................3-1
3.7.6.2 Front Panel System Status and Fault Indicators ................................................................................ 3-2
3.7.6.2.1 Front Panel LCD Digital Display and Set Switch: ...........................................................3-2
3.7.6.2.2 Front Panel STOP LED: .................................................................................................3-3
3.7.6.2.3 Front Panel LIMIT LED: ..................................................................................................3-3
3.7.6.2.4 Front Panel Safety LED ..................................................................................................3-3
3.7.7 INSTALLATION / INITIAL SETUP PROCEDURE ....................................................... 3-1
3.7.8 OPERATION .............................................................................................................. 3-1
3.7.8.1 Basic Manual Operation of the DBPR-5 ............................................................................................ 3-1
3.7.8.2 Optional RS-232 Interface Operation ................................................................................................. 3-2
3.7.8.3 Operation of the DBPR-5 via External Control (rear connector) ........................................................ 3-2
3.7.9 MAINTENANCE.......................................................................................................... 3-1
3.7.9.1 Replacing the Teflon Diaphragm in a STANDARD DBPR ................................................................. 3-1
3.7.9.2 Replacing the Teflon Diaphragm When the Gas Head is Used ......................................................... 3-4
3.7.9.3 Tightening the Diaphragm Head Bolts ............................................................................................... 3-6
3.7.9.4 Refilling the DBPR-5 Valves Pump Region with Oil .......................................................................... 3-6
3.7.9.5 Replacing the Valve Pump Seal ........................................................................................................ 3-7
3.7.9.6 Calibrating System Pressure Transducer ........................................................................................ 3-16
3.7.9.7 Adjusting the High Limit Setpoint ..................................................................................................... 3-17
3.7.10 TROUBLESHOOTING THE DBPR-5 .......................................................................... 3-1
3.7.10.1 Valve Making a Popping Noise .......................................................................................................... 3-1
3.7.10.2 Front Panel Stop Light Wont Operate In Auto Mode ......................................................................... 3-2
3.7.10.3 Valve Wont Hold Pressure At Low Flow Rates ................................................................................. 3-2
3.7.10.4 Pressure Fluctuates More Than The Specifications Outlined ............................................................ 3-3
3.7.11 Misc. Drawings ........................................................................................................... 3-1
3.7.11.1 Standard DBPR-5 Valve Head - Exploded View (bracket not included in standard DBPR) ............... 3-1
3.7.11.2 Optional Gas Flow DBPR-5 Valve Head Exploded View (bracket not included in standard DBPR) 3-1
3.8 SFS-32 Sonic Fluid Separator (acoustic) ......................................................... 3-2
3.8.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3-2
3.8.2 SFS PULSER/RECEIVER ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX and CONNECTIONS ...... 3-4
3.8.3 Specifications ............................................................................................................. 3-5
3.8.4 Factory Calibration...................................................................................................... 3-6
3.8.5 SAFETY, PREPARATION, ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION ................................... 3-1
3.8.5.1 Safety ................................................................................................................................................ 3-1
3.8.5.2 Initial Inspection ................................................................................................................................. 3-1
3.8.5.3 Power Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 3-1
3.8.5.4 Cleaning and Preparation .................................................................................................................. 3-1
3.8.5.5 Assembling the Separator Cell .......................................................................................................... 3-4
3.8.6 USING THE SFS-032 SYSTEM .................................................................................. 3-1
3.8.6.1 Placing the Separator in Your System and Connecting ..................................................................... 3-1
USERS MANUAL
3.8.6.2 How to Start Using The SFS-032 (in CSI flow systems) .................................................................... 3-2
3.8.6.3 Operational Check ............................................................................................................................. 3-3
3.8.7 Typical Flow Schematics For Core Flow Tests ........................................................... 3-6
3.8.7.1 Connections When the Fluids Will Be Brine and Oil .......................................................................... 3-6
3.8.7.2 Connections When the Fluids Will Be Gas and Liquid ....................................................................... 3-7
3.8.8 FILLING the Separator with Brine and Oil ................................................................... 3-8
3.8.9 FILLING THE LOWER HALF WITH BRINE ................................................................ 3-9
3.8.10 FILLING THE UPPER HALF WITH OIL .................................................................... 3-11
3.8.11 TO LOWER THE OIL/WATER INTERFACE ............................................................. 3-13
3.8.12 Checking for Changes in the Hysteresis Effect ......................................................... 3-14
3.8.13 Test for Linearity ....................................................................................................... 3-15
3.8.14 DESCRIPTION OF SOFTWARE ................................................................................ 3-1
3.8.14.1 Computer Communication Load USB Driver .................................................................................. 3-1
3.8.14.2 Configuration screen .......................................................................................................................... 3-5
3.8.14.3 Using the Acoustic Separator Software with Other Programs............................................................ 3-6
3.8.14.4 Separator Data Communication Interface .......................................................................................... 3-6
3.8.15 MAINTAINENCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................ 3-9
3.8.15.1 MECHANICAL DISMANTLING AND REASSEMBLY ........................................................................ 3-9
3.8.16 Acoustic transducer .................................................................................................. 3-12
3.9 Gas Injection System ....................................................................................... 3-13
3.9.1 Upstream Injection Plumbing Schematic ................................................................... 3-16
3.9.2 Gas Injection Operation ............................................................................................ 3-16
3.9.3 Downstream Effluent Measurement System ............................................................. 3-19
3.10 Oven .................................................................................................................. 3-20
3.10.1 Raising the Oven Temperature ................................................................................. 3-20
3.10.2 Reducing the Oven Temperature .............................................................................. 3-21
4 Misc. Schematics, Drawings, Etc. ....................................................4-1

4.1 Flow Schematic .................................................................................................. 4-1
4.2 Electrical Schematics ........................................................................................ 4-2
CFS-830 USERS MANUAL 1-1
1 WARRANTY, DISCLAIMERS, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
WARRANTY
Coretest Systems Corporation warrants for a period of one (1) year from the date
of delivery of its products to the customer that its products shall be free from
defects in materials and workmanship and that they will conform to Coretest
Systems products specifications, as set forth in its catalogues in use at the time of
sale. All electronic components, modules, and/or accessories warranted for a
period of not more than thirty (30) days. However, in the event that any of its
products fail to conform to the warranty contained herein, Coretest Systems shall,
at its option and own expense, repair or replace such products or refund the
purchase price of the defective products provided, however, that (1) Coretest
Systems warranty shall not apply to any of its products which have been (a)
modified, changed, misused, or used in a manner contrary to its instruction
manual, or (b) used prior to installation or qualification by Coretest Systems, and
(2) Coretest shall not be responsible for the payment of freight, insurance, export
and import duties, and other related shipping charges incurred in fulfilling its
warranty obligations hereunder. Coretest Systems makes no warranty for parts,
components or products sold with its products which Coretest Systems did not
manufacture; provided however, that Coretest Systems shall extend warranties
that it receives from its manufacturers or suppliers to its customers. The remedies
set forth in this warranty are exclusive and in lieu of all other remedies for the
failure of any of Coretest Systems products to conform to Coretest Systems
warranty, as set forth herein.
Important Clarification: Coretest Systems manufactures systems that
involve the use of highly corrosive fluids at high pressures and
temperatures. These fluids include but are not limited to acids, solvents,
brines, surfactants, etc. The inherent nature of tests involving such fluids
and/or test conditions of high temperature and pressure may cause
accelerated wear on components associated with the test. As such, said
wear on components is considered to be normal wear and tear; these
items therefore are only covered by a limited warranty."
DISCLAIMER OF OTHER WARRANTIES:

CORETEST SYSTEMS WARRANTY, AS SET FORTH ABOVE, IS THE
SOLE WARRANTY MADE BY CORETEST SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT
TO ITS PRODUCTS, AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY
APPLICABLE LAW, ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY
EXCLUDED.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
THE LIABILITY OF CORETEST SYSTEMS, IF ANY, FOR DAMAGES
RELATING TO ANY OF ITS PRODUCTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE
ACTUAL PURCHASE PRICES OF SUCH PRODUCTS. IN NO EVENT
SHALL CORETEST SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL,

INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING
LOST PROFITS) OF ANY KIND, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT,
CONTRACT, IMPOSED BY OPERATION OF LAW, STATUTE OR
OTHERWISE, EVEN IF CORETEST SYSTEMS KNEW OR SHOULD
HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
No portion of the information presented in this manual may be reproduced

in any form or by any means for, or shared with parties other than the
intended recipient, without the prior written permission of Coretest Systems,
Inc.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2006 - 2014 by Coretest Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of Coretest Systems, Inc.,
400 Woodview Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
DISCLAIMER
Though every effort has been made to supply complete and accurate
information in this manual, the contents are subject to change without
notice or obligation to inform the buyer. Furthermore, Coretest Systems,
Inc. assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any manual which has
been translated from English. In no event will Coretest Systems, Inc. be
liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages
arising out of the use or inability to use the product or documentation.
SOFTWARE AND COMPUTER DISCLAIMER

The computer and software supplied by Coretest Systems, Inc. with this
instrument is intended solely for use with this instrument. Any alteration
from the originally supplied condition other than files created by the
instrument that originally installed with the computer system could void the
warranty. The original Windows computer operating system in English
language is the only operating system that should be on this computer. Any
other operating system may cause problems and void the warranty.
Connection to the Internet or a Network during use of this instrument may
cause problems related to the data collection timing and could cause the
computer to crash or malfunction. The addition of any software programs
or files other than those supplied by (or verified by) Coretest Systems, Inc.
could also cause the computer to crash or malfunction. The addition or
changes to any hardware such as boards inside the computer or
peripherals connected via USB, Ethernet, Serial, or other ports are also
prohibited and could cause the computer to malfunction. Any of the above
stated conditions may also void the warranty for this system.
The English language version of this manual will prevail in the event of any
dispute concerning the contents of this manual.
The information in this manual is confidential. No portion of the information

presented in this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means
for, or shared with parties other than the intended recipient, without the prior
written permission of Coretest Systems, Inc.
2 OVERVIEW OF SYSTEM
2.1 *Theory of Operation

The CFS-830 is designed to enable the user to perform many different test
procedures that require the flow of liquids (or optionally gas) through a core
sample at elevated conditions of pressure and temperature. The CFS-830
can also be used to recreate several rock-fluid interaction scenarios
followed by subsequent liquid treatments to reverse the damage that may
have occurred. Critical velocity tests can be performed to determine
optimum flowing conditions in the well bore. Some other tests available
include liquid permeability, liquid/liquid unsteady-state relative permeability,
fines migration, critical velocity, and almost any fluid treatment flow test.
Typically these tests consist of intervals set by volume, time, or differential
pressure equilibrium. A single piston separator is standard with the option
for more transfer vessels (piston and/or bladder accumulators) to enable
throughput of oil, chemicals, solvents, or other well treatment products.
These tests can be run at overburden pressures to 9,950 psi, pore
o
pressures to 6,000 psi and temperatures to 150 C. The system is designed
to be extremely versatile. All pore fluid wetted parts are constructed from
inert materials including Hastelloy C-276, Inconel, Viton, and Teflon
except for the differential pressure transducers that are constructed from
stainless steel.
The pressure control system including pump, valves, coreholder, and

transducers are mounted on a single movable cabinet. Operation of the
system is controlled through a PC compatible computer. The software
included with the system is designed to allow for operation of the system in
both automated and manual modes. The software operates under the
Microsoft WindowsTM operating system for multitasking capability. This
gives the user maximum versatility in performing tests. Each of the key
components is discussed later in this manual.
2.2 *Location of Components in System
Photo above shows optional components that may not be in your system.
Oven with Coreholder in Horizontal (red tags) setup position.
Oven with Coreholder in Vertical (green tags) setup position. More in Coreholder section.
Oven side showing Axial Pressure Taps on Coreholder
Pressure Measurement Cabinet.
Isolate
Bypass
Miscellaneous Electronics Cabinet
Confining supply and overfill. Photo above may differ slightly from your
system.
2.3 *Flow Schematic
2.4 Overview of the Computer Data Acquisition System

The system is supplied with a current Intel Pentium based computer. This
computer is equipped with a high capacity hard disk, multiple megabytes of
RAM, and a graphic board with two monitors. The computer is supplied
with several plug in boards that acquire information from the system and/or
control certain aspects of the test procedure.
The A/D (Analog-to-Digital) electronic plug-in board is used to measure the

analog signals from the confining pressure transducer, backpressure
transducer, differential pressure transducer, the internal core holder
temperature sensor, and the oven temperature with 16 bit accuracy.
The digital I/O (Input/Output) board sends TTL 5 volt signals to open or
close the several air operated valves in the system. This I/O is also used to
sense the PCI confining pump piston position.
The D/A (Digital-to-Analog) control board sends a programmable analog

signal to the PCI confining system and the DPBR-5 to set their control
pressures.
The Quizix Pump Controller is on COM1 and communicates with the

computer via a RS-232 serial communications port. If Quartz pressure
transducers are utilized for upstream and downstream pressure they
communicate on COM2. If an optional acoustic separator is used, it
communicates via COM3.
For more detailed information see the Computer Data Acquisition and
Control section in this manual.
2.5 *Utility and Floor Space Requirements
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
Base system 220 VAC, 50 or 60 Hz, 15A (1 cord from a power strip inside
bottom of the computer controller rack)
Oven assembly 220 VAC 50 or 60 Hz, 30 A (1 cord from oven)
OTHER UTILITIES
Air Supply pressure 90 - 115 psi max @ 3-4 CFM
Vacuum 0.1 Torr (For system preparation, optional)
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

Oven/Cabinet Assembly
Weight 1150 lbs approximately
HXWXD 60 X 65 X 55
Suggested Floor Space: 15 x 15 feet (4.6 x 4.6 meters)

Plus sample preparation table area.
2.6 Uncrating and Inspection

The system may be shipped in several crates. The largest crate contains
the bulk of the system including the oven and main frame/cabinet assembly.
The computer and other miscellaneous supplies may be shipped in other
crate(s) or at least in separate boxes inside the crate. Carefully remove the
system and the electronics from their respective shipping crates and inspect
for evidence of damage. If any damage is observed, report this directly to
the shipper and your receiving department. Coretest Systems, Inc. cannot
be held liable for damage incurred during shipping.
3 DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENTS
3.1 Computer Data Acquisition and Control System

3.1.1 *Installing the Computer
Uncrate the box(es) that contain the computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse and
various controllers for the system. The computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse
should be installed in the computer section of the roll around cabinet as shown in
the following photo.
Photo above shows optional Bladder Accumulator, Fraction Collector and Gas
Injection System. Your system may differ.
There is a bundle of several cables with one connector that connect the computer to the
system. All cable connectors are marked with labels at the connector and the
corresponding receptacle at the back of the computer and inside the lower right cabinet of
the flow frame. Match the labels for correct connections.
3.1.2 Starting the Quizix and Coretest Software

After turning the computer on the user will be at the Windows Desktop similar to the
one illustrated below. A QUIZIX PUMP MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM
TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE CORETEST SOFTWARE CONTROL
PROGRAM WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE QUIZIX SOFTWARE RUNNING
FIRST. Always start the Quizix PumpWorks program FIRST by double clicking the
Quizix PumpWorks icon on the desktop.
After starting the PumpWorks program the pumps will be indicating an error condition
that requires the Safety Pressures to be set by the user before proceeding. See
illustration below.
Click the OK button and enter a pressure in each of the blank boxes next to Enter
New Pressure: on the screen. 500 is a good value to start with, see below.
Then click Send Safety Pressure to Pump(s). The error condition will go away.
The PumpWorks program can be set to a small window size before proceeding if
desired.
The CFS-830 icon on the desktop can now be double clicked to start the program.
The initial screen will be referred to as the Main Screen throughout this manual.
CFS-830 Main Screen. (Normally at startup the Pconf confining pressure and mode
will not be set and will display ??? in the bottom mode box.)
3.1.3 *Description of the Main Software Screen

After starting the Quizix PumpWorks software followed by double clicking the Coretest
Systems program icon, the user is in the main control screen in the standby state. The
user can observe system operation from this screen, manually open and close valves,
operate the pump(s) and other components that communicate with the computer. The
operator can also enter the AutoSequencer or Configuration screens from this Main
Screen.
Top Pull-Down Menus (File, AutoRun, Config, Help)

For descriptions of these items read the Config-Pull-down Menu section later in this
manual.
Graph
To set up the graph(s) for display on the main screen the user must go to the Config
pull down menu and select Graph. In this window the user can set up to five separate
graphs with up to 10 user selected values to be displayed on one graph. To see the
different graphs use the pull down option at the upper right of the graph as illustrated
below.
NOTE: The graphs are user configured so your pull down graph options will differ
from the illustration above. Screen above is from a different system and will not
match yours. Meant as an example of the graph pull down option only.
See the Graphs subsection under Config Pull-Down Menu section later in this manual
for more details.
Sample (upper right of screen)

Clicking this button (on the right side of the screen) will bring up a window for
entering sample and liquid information to be used in the upcoming test. This data will
be saved as header rows when data logging is activated.
Status box (upper left of screen): Tells the operator about any communication errors
that may exist in the system. There is an error if on of the lights is flashing red. Gray
indicates normal operation. Clicking the mouse on a red flashing light will attempt to
reinitialize the communications with that unit. If clicking on the red flashing light does
not cause the light to return to gray, there is a problem elsewhere in the system,
perhaps a cable disconnect.
Pgas: (Optional) Displays the current gas pressure in the upstream section after the
Mass Flow Controller. This is NOT the supply gas pressure to the mass flow
controller, that pressure must be read manually using the gauge(s) in the Gas
Injection control panel mounted on the end of the flow frame.
Flow: (Optional) Displays the current upstream flow of gas through the Mass Flow
Controller in CC/MIN.
Pup: Displays the current upstream pressure in the system, psia.
Pdown: Displays the current downstream pressure in the system, psia.
Pconf: Displays the current confining pressure in the system. The realtime confining
pressure is displayed in the upper light blue box. The set effective pressure is
displayed in the middle dark blue box and the mode of the PCI system is in the lower
dark blue box.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a switch on the side of the PCI (black box) labeled
Effective and Absolute. When in Effective mode the pressure you enter for Pconf
is the amount you desire the confining pressure to remain ABOVE the pore pressure.
When in Absolute mode the pressure you enter in Pconf is the actual pressure that
will be maintained and could allow the pore pressure to become greater than the
confining pressure which would create an upstream leak around the core sleeve. It is
recommended to always use EFFECTIVE mode for confining pressure.
dP: (optional) Displays the current differential pressure (psid) at the differential
pressure transducer. When in Bypass mode the dP control valves reroute the
pressure so it is equal on both sides of the dP transducer and no actual differential
pressure can be measured. The dP transducer must be in INLINE mode to measure
differential pressure. However, it is not recommended to change to INLINE mode if
you know the current differential pressure is greater than 14 psid.
Zero (dP): clicking on this button will automatically set the dP transducer reading to
zero. A message window will appear prior to actually zeroing the transducer.
If there is nothing flowing or otherwise creating differential pressure the user should
click Yes. If the differential pressure being displayed is because the system actually
has imposed a differential pressure across the dP transducer then the user should
click on NO. Placing the dP transducer in BYPASS mode prior to selecting the Zero
button is recommended when not sure about the current situation.
dPcur: Displays the most accurate current differential pressure that is VALID for the
system. This value will display from any of the differential pressure measurement
devices in the system depending on which one is the most accurate and is active at
the time. For instance, if dP is active and not over-ranged (meaning it is INLINE
mode) the values from this device will be displayed in the dPcur box. If the dP is not
active (Bypassed) the next device for measuring differential pressure will be displayed
in the dPcur box. This may be the Pup-Pdn values.
Pup-Pdn: This value is derived by subtracting the Pdown transducer value from the
Pup transducer value.
Ptap1: Displays the current pressure at axial pressure tap #1 when it is placed inline.
The value in this light blue box will be near zero unless the Ptap Mode is set to Ptap1.
The Ptap1 transducer will only be used during a CYCLE event if there is a check in
the white box labeled 1 to the right of the coreholder. Placing a check in this 1 box
will cause the corresponding Pressure Tap #1 valve to switch to open while closing
the downstream pressure valve when in the CYCLE mode. The data log will save a
Ptap1dP column that will indicate the differential pressure between the upstream of
the core and Ptap1.
Ptap2: Displays the current pressure at axial pressure tap #2 when it is placed inline.
The value in this light blue box will be near zero unless the Ptap Mode is set to Ptap2.
The Ptap2 transducer will only be used during a CYCLE event if there is a check in
the white box labeled 2 to the right of the coreholder. Placing a check in this 2 box
will cause the corresponding Pressure Tap #2 valve to switch to open while closing
the downstream pressure valve when in the CYCLE mode. The data log will save a
Ptap2dP column that will indicate the differential pressure between the upstream of
the core and Ptap2.
Tcore: Displays the current temperature inside the coreholder confining annulus.
Toven: Displays the current temperature inside the oven.
Separator Volumes:
L-abs: This is the Absolute volume of the light (less dense) fluid in the acoustic
separator. The Absolute volume includes the measurement section volume and the
volume that is not in the measurement section of the bores. Addition of the light and
heavy absolute volumes will equal the total volume in the acoustic separator, not the
measurable volume.
H-abs: This is the Absolute volume of the heavy (more dense) fluid in the acoustic
separator. The Absolute volume includes the measurement section volume and the
volume that is not in the measurement section of the bores. Addition of the light and
heavy absolute volumes will equal the total volume in the acoustic separator, not the
measurable volume.
NOTE: If the abs and the rel volumes are the same that means the Reset button has
not ever been used. Once the Reset button has been clicked the rel volumes will
become very close to zeros. This is good for creating a starting point for a test.
L-rel: This is the Relative volume change of the light (less dense) fluid since the last
time the Zero Relative Volume button was pressed. This is good to use when starting
a test. First, press the Zero button and this will set the current Vlrel value to zero.
From that point on any change in the interface height in the measurement bore will be
reflected as a change from zero when using the relative volumes.
H-rel: This is the Relative volume change of the heavy (more dense) fluid since the
last time the Zero Relative Volume button was pressed. This is good to use when
starting a test. First, press the Zero button and this will set the current Vhrel value to
zero. From that point on any change in the interface height in the measurement bore
will be reflected as a change from zero when using the relative volumes.
Located just right of the Pback on the lower part of screen diagram.
Gas Rate: (optional: only there if the gas injection option was purchased) This is the
current flow rate of gas at the effluent end of the system. The flow rate of gas that is
exiting the backpressure regulator in the system.
Gas Volume: (optional: only there if the gas injection option was purchased) This is
the current totalized volume of gas at the effluent end of the system. The totalized
volume of gas that has exited the backpressure regulator in the system since the
totalized volume was Zerod out or Tared.
Controlled Components
Valve Operation: The red and green squares in the flow schematic on the main
screen represent the computer controlled valves in the system. These squares can
be clicked with the mouse to open or close the valves at any time. Red = Closed,
Green = Open.
Pump: Clicking on this button brings up the Coretest pump interface window for
controlling the Quizix pump connected to the system. See the Pump section later in
this manual for more information.
Cycle : Clicking this button will cause the computer controlled valves to the axial
pressure taps (if they have a check in the white box to the right of the coreholder) to
start opening for a period of time (time period is defined in the OPTIONS configuration
window as Cycle Delay) then closing that axial tap and opening the next axial tap that
has been selected with a check in the white box for a period of time then closing that
axial tap and returning to the downstream pressure transducer for a period of time.
The valves will keep cycling through the axial pressure tap 1, 2, then downstream until
the Cycle button is clicked again to turn off that mode.
Set Pressure Tap State (just below the Cycle button):

This button is used to set the current position of the valves for the axial pressure taps
and the downstream pressure. It is also the state that the system will return to when
NOT in the CYCLE mode.
ISOLATE: Selecting this button will close the valves to the axial pressure taps and
leave them closed.
FILL: Selecting this button will OPEN all the axial tap and downstream valves.
Normally only used while vacuum filling the system.
UP-DOWN: Selecting this button will close the Axial taps and open the downstream
valve only.
PT-1: Selecting this button will open Ptap#1 and close Ptap#2 and Pdown.
PT-2: Selecting this button will open Ptap#2 and close Ptap#1 and Pdown.
Set Flow: This section allows the operator to open several valves with one or two
clicks of the mouse to select the source and direction of flow. The Source pull down
allows the operator to select the source of liquid that will be flowing to the core sample
(Pump or Accumulators). The Direction pull down allows the operator to set the flow
direction in forward or reverse directions and direct the core effluent flow either into
the high pressure acoustic separator or directly out of the system through the DBPR.
Illustration above is from a different system. Used as an example only. Your system
will differ.
Pconf (ACPC or PCI): The dark blue boxes under the Pconf section allow the user to
set the desired effective confining pressure when in PRESSURIZE mode. See the
section titled PCI-112 Computer Automated System for more details about this control
feature.
DBPR: (optional, only available if the DBPR-5 was purchased) The DBPR-5 can be
controlled by the computer. The user can set the back pressure setpoint by clicking
on the box and entering a pressure to maintain then clicking OK. The DBPR will
remain closed until the downstream flow pressure reaches the DBPR setpoint at
which time the DBPR will open enough to allow flow out of the system and maintain
the set pressure downstream.
dP Mode: This is the dark blue button to the left of the dP displayed differential
pressure in the upper middle of the screen. Clicking on this button will bring up the
following screen:
When in Bypass mode the dP transducer is protected from damage by setting the
control valves such that equal pressure is applied to both sides of the dP transducer.
This is the recommended mode to use until you are ready to use the dP transducer
and are sure the dP is less than the maximum rated pressure of 14 psid. When ready
to use the dP transducer select the INLINE mode. When vacuum filling the pressure
measurement section with oil it is recommended to use the FILL mode.
Zero Weight: (optional: only there if the balance option was purchased) This button
will reset the balance to zero. Similar to pressing the Tare button on the balance.
3.1.4 *Entering Sample Information

The screen illustrated below can be accessed by pressing the Sample button on the
main screen.
Window may differ from your version.
The user must enter all the necessary core information in this screen. Sample
information for use in the automatic tests can be entered in the AutoSequencer or
retrieved from previous test procedures.
3.1.5 Config Pull-Down Menu

At the top of the Main Screen the operator can pull-down the Config list and select
from Alarms, Calibration, Logging, and Graphs. Each item in the list is described
below.
3.1.5.1 *Alarms
The Alarm configuration screen enables the user to customize several aspects of
the system.
Screen above may differ from your version.
The ALARM CONDITIONS window allows the operator to set maximum values on
several measured system parameters and to ENABLE or DISABLE system
warning messages.
When an alarm condition is ENABLED and becomes triggered a message window

pops up on the screen informing the operator of the condition. This remains on the
screen until one of the following criteria are met, 1) the alarm condition is rectified
and the RETRY button is pressed, or 2) the DISABLE ALARM button is pressed
which will not allow the warning message to pop up again even if the maximum
value set in the configuration screen is reached.
Several parameters can have alarm conditions enabled:
Pconf = Confining Pressure

This alarm maximum value should be set a minimum of 500 psi (1000 is
recommended) above the required confining pressure for the immediate test. The
maximum confining pressure possible is 9950 psi.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a switch on the side of the PCI (black box) labeled
Effective and Absolute. When in Effective mode the pressure you enter for
Pconf is the amount you desire the confining pressure to remain ABOVE the pore
pressure. When in Absolute mode the pressure you enter in Pconf is the actual
pressure that will be maintained and could allow the pore pressure to become
greater than the confining pressure which would create an upstream leak around
the core sleeve. It is recommended to always use EFFECTIVE mode for
confining pressure.
Pback = BPR Pressure

This alarm should be set to the maximum back pressure to be allowed in the
system. The default value is 2500 psi.
Pup = Upstream Pressure

This alarm maximum value should be set to 100 psi above the maximum pressure
that will be encountered upstream during the test.
Pdown = Downstream Pressure

This alarm maximum value should be set to 100 psi above the maximum pressure
that will be encountered downstream during the upcoming test.
dP = the differential pressure currently being measured by the low range differential
pressure transducer. This could be the differential pressure in one of three
locations: 1) across the entire core sample, 2) from the upstream end of the core to
Ptap#1, or 3) from the upstream end of the core to Ptap#2.
Toven = Air Bath Temperature

This is the core holder chamber temperature. The alarm maximum value should
be set to 10 degrees higher than the temperature that is set for the immediate test.
Tcore = Core Temperature

This is the core holder annulus temperature. The alarm maximum value should be
set to 10 degrees higher than the temperature that is set for the immediate test.
If an alarm is enabled and becomes triggered at any time during the operation of
the control program a message window appears. Disabling the alarm will stop the
warning window from being displayed when this situation occurs.
3.1.5.2 *Calibration
This screen is separated into two sections and deals with analog signal conversion
between components that send a signal to the computer and those components
that require a signal from the computer. The Readings section contains the
calibration coefficients for electronic components that send a signal to the
computer. The coefficients in this table are used for conversion to engineering
units such as pressure or flow rate. The Setpoints section contains the calibration
coefficients for components in the system that require a signal from the computer
such as the Back-Pressure setpoint to the DBPR or the Flow Rate setpoint to the
upstream flow controller.
Each of these sections will affect the operation of the system and should not be
altered without a complete understanding of linear equations control modeling.
The Slope and Offset values are used to adjust the fit of a linear equation (Y=mx +
b) to the voltage output from (or to) the sensor connected. These values are the
calibration coefficients used to model the output from the pressure transducers and
to the DBPR, for example. When these calibration values are changed they will be
stored to disk on exiting the program. This will change the calibration of the
system and could cause data to be incorrect. Be careful when changing
these.
NOTE: Changing numbers in the Calibration Coefficients sections will affect the
operation of the system and should not be altered without a complete
understanding of the sensor output response in question.
3.1.5.3 *Logging (Data)

The LOGGING configuration button will bring up a screen that enables the operator
to set the name of the data log file along with the time interval between data that is
logged. The data can be stored in any existing subdirectory. If a floppy drive is
designated, make sure that there is a formatted disk in the drive before logging.
Data will be logged to disk as long as the Log File option is NOT set to Disable
Data Logging.
To disable logging, simply select the Disable Data Logging button and click on OK
at the bottom of the screen.
The file format can be set to ASCII or Microsoft Excel (XLS).
Clicking the Select All button will enable ALL the possible data sets to be logged
each time data is saved, as illustrated above. Clicking the Deselect All button
will remove the check marks from ALL the possible data sets, which will allow
the user to select only a few if desired.
If the user reorganizes the data structure set up by default (shown above) and
wants to use this new organization again, click the Save Template button and
save the setup. Clicking the Load Template will enable the user to recall a
previously organized data log setup.
3.1.5.4 Graphs
To alter the graphs on the Main screen select Config from the top pull down menu
options and select Graphs to display the window illustrated below.
This window allows the operator to configure the look of the displayed graphs on
the main screen. The operator can set the measurement interval, which is the time
between data points that are displayed at the Main screen, and the operator can
set the maximum number of points to graph on the Main screen (History points).
The default values are normally sufficient.
The Title box is the text that will show on the Main screen when the user clicks on
the pull down box to select a graph to display. Be sure to set the Title to a name
that corresponds to the data being graphed.
Under Y-Axis the user can select the number of data sets to plot, up to 5 per graph,
by placing a check next to the Plot 1, Plot 2, etc. Then select what data to plot by
using the pull down box. The desired data to graph can be selected from the pull
down box next to each Plot for the Y-axis. Only one X-axis can be selected from the
same set of available data and a pull down box.
3.1.5.5 *Options
The Options window is shown below. (may not be in your system)
Pressure Tap Cycling, Cycle Delay: When in CYCLE mode this time entry is the
amount of time that each Ptap will wait in each selected position before switching to a
different position to measure the pressure at each selected position.
Stabilization Timeout: This value is only used in the AutoSequencer mode. If Wait
for Stabilization is selected there are three ways. One is wait for Pump Cumulative
Volume. If Pump Cumulative Volume is selected this means that the system will
monitor the current cumulative pump volume and allow the system to flow until the
entered volume is reached. Remember this option monitors the current pump
cumulative volume, not the volume from the start of the command. You must enter a
value greater than the current cumulative pump volume. If the entered pump volume
is not reached in the amount of seconds entered the Stabilization-Timeout box, the
WAIT will end and the sequence will proceed to the next step.
Stabilization Check Interval: As mentioned above, this is only used in the

AutoSequencer mode during a WAIT for stable differential pressure. The value
entered in this box is the amount of time in seconds between data reads to determine
if the current value has changed more or less than the stability parameter.
Delta-P Transducer Mode: This enables the operator to set the differential pressure
transducer to either Bypass and Stay Bypassed or Bypass and Return if in Range
when the differential pressure becomes greater than the maximum value it can
measure. The differential pressure transducer is protected from over pressure by
switching its mode from INLINE to BYPASSED. If it measures a differential pressure
greater than its maximum it will automatically switch to BYPASSED mode.
Normally it will be set to Bypass and Stay Bypassed. This will not allow the system
to cycle the dP Bypass valves over and over again if the differential pressure across
the core happens to be right at that crossover point. If the operator wants the Bypass
valve to reopen when in range, the operator will have to change the mode when they
are sure the differential pressure is away from the crossover point.
3.1.6 AutoSequencer
Pressing the Auto Run menu pull down option at the top of the Main Screen pulls
down an operator prompt to either Setup the AutoSequencer or Start the
AutoSequence that was previously set up.
Prior to starting any Auto Sequence routine, the core must be loaded into the
coreholder, the coreholder annulus must be filled with liquid from the confining
reservoir (see the Loading the Core section of the Test Procedures section later
in this manual), at least 500 psi confining pressure must be placed on the
coreholder. If this has not been done the Auto Run routine buttons should not be
initiated.
Upon pressing the AutoRun button from the Main Screen the operator is taken to
the Sequencer window as illustrated below.
From this window the operator can set up any custom test procedure or simple
routines can be set up to perform fundamental tasks such as opening the correct
automated valves to allow the system to be pressurized for the upcoming test.
Add: this button will pop-up a window prompting the operator to select a command
to insert at the bottom of the current procedure list to define another step in the
procedure.
The operator can choose from a pull-down list of commands
Insert: when this button is pressed a new command will be inserted just above the
line that was selected when the INSERT button was pressed. REMEMBER TO
FIRST SELECT THE COMMAND LINE AT WHICH YOU WANT TO INSERT A
NEW COMMAND JUST ABOVE.
Edit: this button will allow the operator to change an existing command in the list.
First, select the command to be edited, then press the Edit button.
Delete: this button will remove the command that was selected just prior to
pressing the Delete button.
Upon completing the list of commands for the desired procedure, pressing the
Close button will leave the setup window and start the procedure. While the
procedure is running the Coretest Systems logo in the top right corner of the Main
Screen will rotate. When the procedure is completed, the logo will stop rotating.
If at any time the operator wants to stop the procedure simply press the Stop
button at the top left of the Main Screen just below the pull-down menus. The Stop
button is the one with the square icon.
Load: this button will allow the operator to select previously saved procedures
from a list.
Save: this button will allow the operator to save the current procedure to a unique
filename for future use from the Load button.
3.1.7 *System I/O Map

PCI-DDA02/16 Board Analog Output
S/W Map as Valve T/B GND Name
0 Output AV0 82 50 Pump

1 Output AV1 81 50 Piston Accumulator 1
2 Output AV2 80 50 Not Used
4 Output AV4 78 50 Forward injection
5 Output AV5 77 50 Reverse injection
6 Output AV6 76 50 Gas Injection (option)
8 Output AV8 90 50 Bypass Coreholder
9 Output AV9 89 50 Reverse effluent
10 Output AV10 88 50 Forward effluent
11 Output AV11 87 50 To DBPR

12 Output AV12 86 50 To SFS
13 Output AV13 85 50 SFS Top Out
14 Output AV14 84 50 SFS Bottom Out
16 Output AV16 98 50 Tap 1
17 Output AV17 97 50 Tap 2
20 Output AV20 94 50 Downstream Tap
22 Output AV22 92 50 Delta Pressure Bypass
23 Output AV23 91 50 Delta Pressure Inline
PCI-DAS 6034/35 Board DIO T/B GND

0 Input 85 100 Extend
1 Input 86 100 Retract
2 87 100
3 88 100
4 89 100
5 90 100
6 Output AV30 91 100 Fill
7 Output AV31 92 100 Pressure
PCI-DAS 6034/35 Board Analog input

Analog In T/B GND
0 0-5v 0-10Kpsi 2 1 Confining Pressure Transducer
1 0-5v 0-10Kpsi 4 1 DBPR System Transducer
2 6 1
3 8 1
4 0-5v 0-3Kpsi 10 18 Gas Injection Transducer
5 4-20 Converted +/-14 12 18 Delta Pressure +/-14
6 14 18
7 16 18
8 4-20 Converted J 0-200C 3 1 Vessel Temp
9 4-20 Converted J 0-200C 5 1 Bath (Oven) Temp
10 7 1
11 9 1
12 11 18
13 13 18
14 0-5v 0-1000slm 15 18 Mass Flow Contrlr, 1000 SLM
15 17 18
Sense 35 50
PCI-DDA02/16 Board Analog Output

Analog Out T/B GND
0 Unipolar 0-5vdc 1 2 PCI-112
1 Unipolar 0-5vdc 3 4 DBPR-005
2 Unipolar 0-5vdc 5 6 Mass Flow Contrlr, 1000 SLM
Serial
0 RS-232 (Com 1) 0 Quizix Pore Pump
1 RS-232 1 CME Totalizer
2 USB 2 Separator
3 USB 3 Quartzdyne
3.2 Pore Pressure Measurement System

NOTE: Several optional systems are shown below. Please locate the system that
matches the one used in your system for description.
3.2.1 Standard System WITH Axial Pressure Taps(2)

There are two types of pressure transducers utilized in this pore Pressure
Measurement System. The upstream and downstream pressures are measured by
0.01% accuracy Quartzdyne precision transducers. A low range differential
pressure transducer is supplied with accuracy of 0.1% full scale and is
manufactured from stainless steel.
Std. Upstream & Downstream Quartzdyne.

Location Inside upper cabinet
Range, psi 10000 (0.01% accuracy)
Wetted parts Inconel
Output RS-232 (com 2)
Differential Pressure Barton, Inc.

Location Inside upper cabinet.
Range 0 -20 psid
Overpressure 100 psid
Accuracy 0.1% F.S.
Wetted parts 316 SS
Excitation 15-32 VDC
3.2.1.1 Schematic of System
3.2.1.2 Computer Controlled Differential Pressure Bypass Safety Valves

There are several computer controlled valves in this system (shown above as a
box with an X in it). Some are used to rearrange the flow path and switch the
pressure source for the downstream input between the axial pressure taps and
the downstream end of the core sample. The other two protect the differential
pressure transducer from overpressure damage.
The two computer controlled valves that protect the differential pressure
transducer perform the same duties as the ones described above in the non-
axial tap system. These two computer controlled valves protect the differential
pressure transducer from being damaged in the event an overpressure situation
occurs. The protected mode is called Bypassed. If at any time the differential
pressure transducer senses an overpressure condition the computer will
automatically switch the two valves into the Bypassed position where the valve
connected directly to the upstream pressure source closes and isolates the
transducer from the upstream portion of the system. At the same time the
second valve opens to connect both sides of the differential pressure transducer
to the downstream pressure source. When in Bypass mode both sides of the
differential pressure transducer are open to the same pressure source so the
differential will be zero and the transducer is protected.
There are settings at the computer to automatically return to the measurement

mode (Inline) if the difference between the upstream and downstream pressure
transducers indicate that the differential is within range of the differential
pressure transducer again. The default mode will be to remain in the Bypassed
mode until the user puts it back Inline.
3.2.1.3 Filling the System with Oil
Close the manual isolate valves that connect the upstream, downstream and
axial pressure taps to the coreholder (at left side of measurement system
above). Open one of the manual fill valves (at right side of measurement system
above) and connect it to a vacuum saturation manifold. Evacuate the system for
at least one hour after it has been verified that there are no leaks in the system
then open the vacuum connection and allow the system to fill with a lightweight
inert oil. ExxonMobil brand Isopar-L is recommended.
3.2.2 Pressure Transducer Calibrations

There are several pressure transducers utilized throughout the CFS-830 system. The
Setra Systems and Fuji transducers have a characteristic 0 to 5 volt output in
response to the pressure that is applied to the sensing element. This voltage output
is converted to engineering units in the control program software. Calibration of most
of these transducers can only consist of adjusting any pressure drift or long term
offset. This can be accomplished in software. Initially, upon uncrating the system, the
offset calibrations should be made by first setting the default configuration coefficients
in the software then using the OFFSET coefficients in the CONFIGURATION
CALIBRATION section of the software. The OFFSET value can be used to fine tune
the calibration adjustments for any drift that might occur. This procedure should be
repeated every few weeks or month thereafter. It is recommended that every month
the calibrations are checked and adjusted in software, if necessary, to insure the
highest quality measurements.
3.3 Pump(s)
3.3.1 Quizix Pumps (optional)
IMPORTANT NOTE: The fluid in the pump will be used to drive the piston and bladder
accumulators in the system. Therefore the pump fluid should be compatible with the
accumulator materials. When a Bladder Accumulator will be used it is recommended
to fill the pump with a fluid that is compatible with 17-4 stainless steel. Do not use
brine, acids, caustics or any other liquid that is not compatible with 17-4 stainless
steel. The piston accumulators in this system are manufactured from Hastelloy C-276
and can be used with more aggressive pump drive fluids.
For specific pump information please refer to the Quizix Operators Manual and the
Quizix PumpWorks User Manual.
For reference purposes please refer to the plumbing schematic of the pore fluid
system elsewhere in this manual. The Quizix pump is a key component of the
system. This pump is placed in a location to provide easy access for maintenance
and offer high performance control.
Manual control of the air operated valves and pumps are performed through the
interactive software (Coretest and Quizix). Display of system pressures is also
through the computer screen.
Refer to the Quizix Operators Manual for descriptions of the available

operational details and maintenance of the Quizix cylinders and controller.
The Quizix flow system consists of a dual cylinder positive displacement pump, with
each cylinder capable of operating independently in constant rate mode or constant
pressure servo mode.
3.3.2 Pump Control via the Coretest Software

At the Main Screen click on the Pump icon to bring up the following screen.
Image above may differ slightly from your system.
This screen allows the operator to control and monitor important aspects of the
dual cylinder pump system. The pump control portion of the screen is separated
into the upper status portion and a lower control section. Status displays include
an indicator for relative piston position, cylinder Motion Status (stopped, retracting,
extending, max retract, or max extend), Current Pressure of each cylinder in psi,
Current Volume in cc's (Equals the volume pumped by each cylinder unless reset
by the zero pump counter routine),
Parameters that can only be changed when the pump is stopped, include:
Set Direction:
Can be set to EXTEND or RETRACT
Set Operating Mode:
For more information about each available pump mode please refer to the Quizix
PumpWorks manual supplied with this system.
Pump parameters that can be adjusted while the pump is operating. These
parameters include:
Set Rate:
Can be set from 0.001 to 50.000 cc per minute
Set Pressure:
Can be set from 1 to 6000 psi in the CP mode.
Can be set from 0.01 to 500 psid in the DP servo mode
Set Safety Pressure:
Can be set form 0 to 6000 psi
Volumes: Reset All
Zeros the oil pump and the brine pump
Pump valves can be opened and closed at the bottom of the pump section.
The pump control screen is separated into the top START/STOP control buttons,
the upper status section and a lower control section. Status displays include an
indicator for relative piston position, cylinder Motion Status (stopped, retracting,
extending, max retract, or max extend), Current Pressure of each cylinder in psi,
Cumulative Volume in cc's (Equals the volume pumped by each cylinder until reset
by the Reset All button at the bottom of the window).
The two buttons at the top of the window are used to manually start and stop the
pumps running in whatever mode they are currently set to operate in. The top
section of the window just below the START/STOP buttons allows the operator to
monitor important aspects of the Quizix dual cylinder pump system. The section
below that is the part of the window where the operator can alter or set the
operating functions of the pump system. Some of these parameters can be set
while the pump is running and others require that the pump is stopped before they
can be changed.
NOTE: It is also possible to control the Quizix pump from the Quizix PumpWorks
software window. For information about using this interface see the Quizix
PumpWorks user manual.
3.4 Accumulators
3.4.1 Piston Accumulators
The piston accumulator normally serves as a transfer device used to contain
liquids under high pressure to be driven out of the accumulator by a pump for
use in test procedures. Usually a fluid is pre-charged into the accumulator and
it may be under pressure. If the accumulator is pre-pressurized the system is
normally brought to pressure and temperature before opening the accumulator
to the system. Once open to the system the Quizix pump is used to drive the
contained liquid to be delivered out the top of the accumulator to the core
sample.
Delivery Volume: 1 liter (std.), 250cc and 2 liter are also available
Wetted Material: Hastelloy C-276 (std.), Viton o-rings
316 Stainless Steel, Hastelloy B, and Titanium
are also available.
Maximum Pressure: 6000 psig (std.) 10,000 psi available
Location: inside oven (except where dangerous
chemicals are involved which will dictate that
the accumulator is mounted outside the oven.)
3.4.1.1 Rebuild the Piston Accumulator

Remove the accumulator from the oven wall of the system, remove each end cap
and pour the liquid out, then push the piston out (ALWAYS USE A SOFT ROD TO
PUSH THE PISTON OUT TO INSURE THAT YOU DO NOT SCRATCH THE
WALLS OF THE PISTON ACCUMULATOR BODY). Clean and dry the
components. Inspect o-ring seals and replace if necessary. Reassemble the
accumulator and replace it on the oven wall. Do not reconnect the tubing until it
has been cleaned.
NOTE: The accumulator may be filled by an outside laboratory and

pressurized to a pressure above the bubble point of the crude oil contained
inside. Never open a valve on a pressurized accumulator until the system is
at pressure and temperature for the upcoming test so the crude oil that is
contained will remain at reservoir conditions.
ITEM NO. PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION VENDOR Default /QTY.
1 4-75XV2-332 3/16 O-Ring CSI 2
2 4-75XV2-232 1/8 O-Ring CSI 2
3.5 Coreholder
3.5.1 CHG-106
The CHG-106 core holder is a versatile design that can be configured in several
ways. This section will give a brief description of the standard options that are
available. The CHG can be configured as a standard Hassler coreholder with fixed
axial confining stress (not recommended above 3000 psi) or with a Biaxial
confining pressure option that enables hydrostatic (equal in all directions) confining
stress. It comes in different lengths and with different end plug configurations (one,
two, or three inlet/outlet tubes). Depending on which options were ordered, the
CHG-106 core holder can accommodate core samples of 1.5 inch, 1.0 inch, and 30
millimeter diameters. Each core holder comes with one downstream spacer that is
always used, and four upstream spacers which are used individually depending on
the length of the core sample being tested.
Core diameter 1.5 inch (std.), 1.0 inch and 30 millimeter are
available
Core length 1 to 6 inches
Axial Taps: 2, one at 2 inches and 2nd at 4 inches from upstream
Loading Conditions Hydrostatic (with biaxial option)
Sleeve material Viton, Buna-N
Core Face Fluid Ports 3 inlet and 2 outlet
Fixed End
Illustration above is for the 1.5 components.
Fixed End
Illustration above is for the 1.0 components

3.5.1.1 Horizontal and Vertical Setups
There are specific sets of tubing that have been prefabricated for use in the
Horizontal and Vertical positions. Locate the correct tubing based on the color
and shape of the tags on the tubing as shipped from the factory.
NOTE: DO NOT REMOVE OR ALTER THE TAGS SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

EASILY LOCATE AND REINSTALL THESE AT A LATER DATE.
3.5.1.2 Loading the Core

Insert the core plug in either end of the core holder.
Insert the fixed-end end plug and spacer until the edge of the spacer is flush
with the edge of the threaded insert.
Screw the fixed-end end cap on all the way.
Select the appropriate length downstream spacer(s) to be used with the core
sample being loaded. Always use at least one spacer. Place the spacer
over the inlet/outlet tubes on the variable-end end plug. Make sure the spacer
is correctly aligned over the variable-end end plug and the tubing nuts are
outside the spacer, not up in the hole.
Insert the variable-end end plug with spacer into the core holder until the end
plug contacts the face of the core sample.
Gently guide the axial nut over the inlet/outlet tube(s) and thread into the end
cap. Tighten until pressure is applied on the face of the core plug. At least 1/3
of the axial nut threads should be engaged. The axial nut should never be
threaded all the way in. If the axial nut can be threaded all the way in the
spacer used is too short. Be sure that when the axial nut is tightened the
sample is squeezed between the end pieces before applying any
confining pressure.
The core holder is now ready for confining pressure.
To unload the core sample simply reverse the above procedure.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Never tighten the Retaining Ring when there is
confining pressure on the coreholder. Only tighten
hand tight when the core is inserted and there is no
confining pressure.
3.5.1.3 *Fill the Coreholder Annulus and Apply Confining Pressure

1. Refer to the following sections describing specific confining systems that are
available and be sure to use the schematic for the system that you have.
Make certain the bottom and top confining pressure tubing is connected to the
coreholder body and tightened. Be certain the coreholder is assembled and a
core sample (or solid plug) is inside the coreholder with both ends of the
coreholder screwed in against each end of the core sample.
Check the level of the confining pressure reservoir before setting the system
to FILL. Make certain this level is at least capacity.
Images above may differ from your system but basic design is the same.
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Bypass
2. In the lower cabinet there is a black control panel with round handled
regulator knobs. There is also a long handled valve near the bottom of the
black panel. The long valve handle is labeled FILL and DRAIN. Set this
valve to the FILL position.
3. Open the Confining Bypass to Reservoir valve in the cabinet.
4. Set the pressure regulator labeled Reservoir Air to approximately 20 or 30 psi
(maximum 40 psi).
5. Inside the oven, OPEN the valve that is connected to the top coreholder
confining port. It has metal tubing from the coreholder to the valve and
plastic tubing out the other side of the valve back to the black panel
mentioned above. Monitor this plastic tube to insure gas is exiting the
coreholder body. When liquid is seen in the plastic tubing or at the confining
overfill trap bottle located next to the supply reservoir, close the confining
BYPASS to Reservoir valve.
6. The coreholder should now be full of confining liquid and all gas should be
purged from the annulus.
7. Set the Pump Air regulator to approximately 90 psi.
8. Raise the confining pressure using the Pconf section on the Main computer
control screen. First click the bottom blue box and set the mode to
Pressurize, then click the top blue box and set the desired pressure. Upon
setting the pressure value the confining pump will begin pressurizing the
coreholder.
9. When the desired pressure is obtained monitor all connections for leaks.
10. Wipe all fittings and tubing so there is no evidence of oil or water leaks. This
will be important when the system is pressurized and you are checking for
leaks.
3.5.1.4 Unloading the Core

Utilize the reverse procedure from loading the core as described in a section above.
Always lower the pore pressure first followed by lowering the confining pressure
before attempting to disconnect any tubing in the system.
Prior to reducing the confining pressure check the level of the liquid in the confining
pressure supply RESERVOIR on the side. The liquid level should not be higher than
about 1 or 2 inches above the bottom of the container. If too much liquid is in the
container it may overflow when liquid is being drained from the coreholder.
3.5.1.5 Rebuild the Core Holder

The following procedures describe replacement of seals and the confining sleeve.
The sleeve should only be replaced if the previous test was performed at very high
temperatures for a period of time greater than 3 hours or if the previous test resulted
in a confining sleeve leak.
The following procedures describe replacement of seals and the confining sleeve.
Image above illustrates pressure taps. Coreholder may differ from your system.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Never tighten the Retaining Ring when there is
confining pressure on the coreholder. Only tighten
hand tight when the core is inserted and there is
no confining pressure.
3.5.1.6 Replacing the Confining Sleeve
1. To change the confining sleeve, first drain any confining fluid from the core
holder.
2. Remove the axial nut from the variable length end of the coreholder, and flow
lines.
3. Remove the fixed-end end cap, flow lines, and the retaining ring.
4. Remove the knurled ring nut from the fixed end of the coreholder body.
5. Remove the pressure tap screw-in bodies from the coreholder body to expose
the tubes from the sleeve in the larger openings.
6. Remove (unscrew) the bronze variable-end seal plug (CHG-106-273) from the
variable length end.
7. Remove (unscrew) the bronze annulus seal plug (CHG-106-278) from the fixed
end. NOTE: It is important to remove this part before sliding the sleeve
cartridge assembly out of the coreholder body. The beveled end of this part
must not be scratched or confining pressure leaks will be created.
8. Push inward on the fixed end of the sleeve assembly to break it loose, but do
not remove until the CHG-106-278 ring has been unscrewed and removed.
9. Push each of the axial tap tubing extensions down into the coreholder annulus
to free the insert-sleeve-insert cartridge assembly and enable it to be slid out of
the coreholder body through the variable length end (see below).
10. Inspect ALL O-rings for damage and replace if necessary. Always lubricate the
O-rings with a little Krytox or vacuum grease before reassembly.
11. To install a new sleeve, force the fixed end sleeve insert (CHG-106-275) into
the end of the sleeve which is furthest from the pressure tap inserts.
12. The variable end sleeve insert (CHG-106-205) goes in the end of the sleeve
which is closer to the pressure taps.
13. Guide the insert-sleeve-insert assembly into the coreholder body through the
variable end while aligning the pressure taps into position.
14. Replace the ring seal insert (CHG-106-278) into the fixed end of the coreholder
by sliding it over the threads of the sleeve insert (CHG-106-205) and into the
body of the coreholder. Be careful when inserting the threaded end so it does
not damage the beveled surface of the screw in ring. Damaging this surface
may cause leaks.
15. Make sure the variable end sleeve insert (CHG-106-275) is properly aligned in
the coreholder body and then screw the variable-end endcap (CHG-106-273)
back into place.
16. Slide a support mandrel that is the same diameter of the core to be used in the
coreholder sleeve to hold the pressure taps in the center of the holes and
prevent sleeve sag. Apply a little grease to the tips of the pressure taps.
17. Feed the pressure tap bodies over the pressure taps. If necessary, the
pressure taps can be centered by turning the ring insert. After replacing the
pressure tap bodies, tighten the ring insert.
18. Replace the retaining ring on the fixed end (CHG-106-207).
19. Remove the mandrel and slide a core sample into the sleeve.
20. Slide the fixed end core endpiece and spacer into the sleeve opening and
follow it with the fixed end tightening cap (CHG-106-218). Screw the tightening
cap until is stops.
21. Slide the variable end core endpiece with necessary spacers into the sleeve
opening and follow it with the variable end axial nut (CHG-106-203). Tighten
the axial nut snugly, but do not damage the core sample.
22. The coreholder is now ready to fill with confining fluid.
3.5.1.7 VERY IMPORTANT Coreholder Notes
When using the 1-inch or 30-mm configuration, the appropriate Beveled Spacer must be
placed between the axial nut and the variable-end spacer(s). Illustration below does not
have the biaxial load assembly on the Fixed end.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not tighten the Retaining Ring (see photo below) at the
fixed end of the coreholder after confining pressure has been applied. It will then be
very difficult to remove when the confining pressure is removed for maintenance of the
coreholder. If at pressure there is a gap between the Retaining Ring and the Ring Insert,
THAT IS OK. Leave any gap that forms at pressure, it is normal.
Do not tighten the fixed end knurled Retaining
Ring after confining pressure has been
applied. If tightened while under confining
pressure the ring will be very difficult to remove
when the confining pressure is removed for
maintenance of the coreholder.
3.5.1.8 Axial Pressure Taps
Each pressure tap body contains two PEEK backup rings and one Viton o-ring.
From time to time, it may be necessary to change the o-ring. To do this, simply
remove the snap-ring followed by one backup ring and the o-ring.
When replacing the o-ring and backup rings, place the chamfered edge of each
backup ring facing in towards the center of the tap body.
Each pressure tap body contains two PEEK parts, one Viton o-ring, one snap ring, and
the tap body. From time to time, it may be necessary to change the o-ring. To do this,
simply remove the snap-ring followed by the chamfered PEEK cap and the o-ring.
When replacing the o-ring be sure to place the outer PEEK cap with the chamfered edge
of facing outward. This chamfer helps guide the tube from the sleeve insert into the o-
ring.
Dissassembled Seal Nut View Assembled Seal Nut View
3.5.1.9 INSTALLING AXIAL PRESSURE TAPS IN A SLEEVE
Cut the sleeve material to length.
Slide the sleeve over the mounting rod and assemble the end arms. (illustration may
be longer than you system, but procedure is the same.)
Place the hole guide on top of the mounting frame.
Have the press nearby.
Place the hole cutter in a hole. Be sure the sharp end is against the sleeve.
Place the press over the hole cutter and align the two.
Clamp the press in place on the table and push the cutter down until it stops. Remove
the cutter from the guide hole and move to the next hole. Repeat until all holes are
cut. (the rubber cut by the cutter will remain in the sleeve most of the time)
Remove the sleeve hole press rod and replace with the axial tap holder rod. One end
of this rod will attach to the press frame as shown.
Slide the sleeve off the hole cut rod. This might take some force.
Push out all the holes that were cut in the sleeve. They will fall into the ID of the
sleeve.
Remove the arm of the axial tap holder rod.
Locate the correct number of axial taps for you sleeve.
Place the axial taps in the lowest side of the machined recesses in the tap holder rod.
Place all taps that are necessary for your sleeve.
Carefully slide the sleeve over the tap holder rod without touching the taps that are
setting in the recessed holes of the rod. Align the sleeve such that you can see the
ends of each tap at each hole in the sleeve. Press down around the holes to push the
tap through each hole.
Taps pushed through the holes. Note the small pieces of rubber that were pushed out
of the holes after being cut.
Locate the appropriate number of axial tap top seal caps.
Locate all the components to finish assembling the axial tap assemblies.
Slide the cap over the axial tap threaded end, follow with an o-ring then a PEEK
spacer then the tightening nut.
Tighten the nut until snug while holding the inner tube from rotating with a screwdriver.
Be sure the tube is located in the correct orientation as shown above.
A assembled axial tap will look similar to the image above.
The inside of the tap should be pulled up into the sleeve such that it does not protrude
into the ID of the sleeve.
Repeat for all the required axial tap holes.
Note how the upper cap is compressed against the rubber sleeve.
3.6 Confining (Overburden) System

NOTE: Several optional systems are shown below. Please locate the system that
matches the one used in your system for description.
3.6.1 PCI-112 Computer Automated System

Fluid Oil or water filled, pneumatic pressure
intensifying pump, 100:1
Drive pressure 0-105 psi air (manually controlled)
Outlet pressure 400 - 9,950 psi
Rupture disk 11,000 psi
Rapid Fill System Pneumatically driven supply reservoir
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Your system may differ from the photo above.
The PCI Overburden System consists of a PCI computer controlled automated

pressure intensifier system, fluid reservoir (fill/drain system), overpressure burst
disk, and pressure transducer. The PCI system will automatically maintain the
confining pressure above the pore pressure at the user entered value on the Main
screen of the computer controller.
The Confining Pressure Supply Reservoir is located on the side of the lower
cabinet. This reservoir is connected to the PCI unit through a computer operated
valve located inside the cabinet above the intensifier cylinder.
The supply reservoir can be filled by removing the air pressure on the reservoir
than removing the top fill plug.
Be sure to turn the SUPPLY reservoir air pressure off (rotate the regulator
fully counterclockwise) before attempting to remove the reservoir fill cap. To
turn the air pressure off rotate the FILL/DRAIN valve handle (located on the
front control panel) to the DRAIN position before removing the fill plug.
Use water or a low viscosity, light weight refined oil in the SUPPLY reservoir.
NOTE: Any oil used must have a flash point greater than 180 degrees Celcius.
There are two manually operated air pressure regulators for the confining pressure
system. They are both mounted on a panel inside the lower cabinet. They are
labeled Confining Pump and Confining Supply Reservoir. These
Regulators must be manually adjusted by the operator to control the pressure
output from the PCI system. Normally they are set as follows:
Confining PUMP air pressure regulator: 100 psi

Confining SUPPLY air pressure regulator: 20 psi
The procedure used for filling and draining fluid from the core holder is discussed
later in this section of this manual.
The PCI pressure intensifier has a multiplication factor of 100:1 with a

minimum air pressure of 80 psi required. Therefore if the air supply pressure
is set to 80 psi, the maximum confining pressure that can be obtained is
approximately 8000 psi. To enable the maximum confining pressure of
10000 psi the air regulator must be set to at least 100 psi but not greater than
105 psi.
Do not set the confining air PUMP pressure above 105 psi at any time as this could
result in an overpressure situation.
NOTE: Never isolate the coreholder from the confining pressure control panel
during heat up or during a test. The manually operated valve to isolate the PCI
from the system should always be open when heating the system. Closing the
isolate valve to the coreholder can cause the coreholder confining pressure to rise
past the burst disc maximum rating creating potentially dangerous conditions.
3.6.1.1 PCI System Plumbing Schematic
Schematic above does not illustrate biaxial head. Your system may differ.
3.6.1.2 Operation via Computer Control

Locate the icon below on the Main Screen:
The top light blue box is the current confining pressure in the
system.
The middle dark blue box is where the user will click with the
mouse to set the desired effective confining pressure.
The bottom dark blue box is where the user will select the current
MODE for the confining system.
3.6.1.2.1 Confining Pressure System Modes Of Operation
The PCI-112 functions in specialized modes. These include fill, purge,

pressurize, load/evacuate, or safety dump modes. The system can be set to
any of these modes from the computer Main screen using the bottom dark blue
box in the confining control icons.
Upon clicking the bottom dark blue box the following window will appear:
Select a mode and click OK.
NOTE: If you have pore pressure in the system at this point it is recommended
to CLOSE the Confining Isolate manual valve before actually setting the new
Mode setting. When the PCI is at the desired pressure and mode setting you
can then reopen the Confining Isolate manual valve. This will insure that you
do not allow the confining pressure to drop below the pore pressure resulting in
a loss of pore pressure and fluids.
Fill: In this mode the pneumatic intensifier is directed in a downward direction

and the fluid inlet valve opened and the fluid outlet valve closed. This fills the
intensifier volume with fluid prior to pressurization for a test. The user should
wait approximately 10 seconds to allow fluid to be sucked into the intensifier
before setting the mode to pressurize.
Pressurize: In this mode the pneumatic intensifier moves upward applying

force to the fluid in the intensifier. The inlet valve is closed and the outlet valve
is opened during this process. The electronics will servo on the setpoint
pressure trying to adjust the system to keep a constant pressure.
Purge: This mode is used to remove air from the PCI intensifier region. The
pneumatic piston moves upward with the inlet valve open and the outlet valve
closed. In order to effectively remove air from the unit, cycle between purge and
fill several times before going into pressurize mode.
Load/evacuate: This mode is used to retract or put a slight vacuum on a

sleeve. It is not used in this system
Safety dump: This operation mode opens both inlet and outlet valves and
stops operation of the pneumatic intensifier.
3.6.1.2.2 Setting the Effective Confining Pressure Setpoint

Click on the middle dark blue box of the Pconf icon set and the following window
will appear.
Enter the desired Effective confining pressure to maintain above the pore
pressure and click OK.
3.6.1.3 *Fill the Coreholder Annulus and Apply Confining Pressure

1. Make certain the bottom and top confining pressure tubing is connected to the
coreholder body and tightened. Be certain the coreholder is assembled and a
core sample (or solid plug) is inside the coreholder with both ends of the
coreholder screwed in against each end of the core sample.
Check the level of the confining pressure reservoir before setting the system
to FILL. Make certain this level is at least capacity.
Images above may differ slightly from your system. Basic design is the same.
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Bypass
2. In (or on the side of) the lower cabinet there is a black control panel with
round handled regulator knobs. There is also a long handled valve near the
bottom of the black panel. The long valve handle is labeled FILL and DRAIN.
Set this valve to the FILL position.
3. Open the confining pump Bypass to Reservoir valve in the cabinet.
4. Set the pressure regulator labeled Reservoir Air to approximately 20 or 30
psi.
5. Inside the oven, OPEN the valve that is connected to the top coreholder
confining port. It has 1/8 tubing from the coreholder to the valve and plastic
tubing out the other side of the valve back to the black panel mentioned
above. Monitor this plastic tube to insure gas is exiting the coreholder body.
When liquid is seen in the plastic tubing or at the confining overfill trap bottle
located next to the supply reservoir, close the BYPASS valve.
6. The coreholder should now be full of confining liquid and all gas should be
purged from the annulus.
7. Set the Pump Air regulator to approximately 90 psi.
8. Raise the confining pressure using the ACPC icon on the Main computer
control screen. First click the bottom blue box and set the mode to
Pressurize, then click the top blue box and set the desired pressure. Upon
setting the pressure value the confining pump will begin pressurizing the
coreholder.
9. When the desired pressure is obtained monitor all connections for leaks.
10. Wipe all fittings and tubing so there is no evidence of oil or water leaks. This
will be important when the system is pressurized and you are checking for
leaks.
3.7 Backpressure Regulator

3.7.1 DBPR-5 (recommended)
The DBPR-5 electronic back pressure control system can be ordered to enable computer
control of the back pressure setting in a flow system. The DBPR-5 is comprised of two
components, 1) the Controller and 2) the Control VALVE BOX.
NOTE: The backpressure system does NOT raise the pressure in the system. It only
controls the maximum pressure at the downstream end. When the downstream pressure
rises to the DBPR set pressure the DBPR will open and maintain the downstream pressure
at that set pressure.
3.7.2 DBPR-5 Electronic Control Box

The DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX contains the servo control
electronics; user controls needed to operate the DBPR-5; status indicators that
indicate the mode of operation or a failure condition, and an LCD display to
provide a pressure readout of either set pressure or system pressure. ("Set
pressure" refers to the desired control pressure. "System pressure" refers to the
actual pressure of the system being regulated.) The DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC
CONTROL BOX interfaces with DBPR-5 VALVE BOX, a computer (if the system
is under computer control), and AC power.
3.7.2.1 Front Panel
Figure 1-Front Panel Controls
START/STOP Switch
In the up position the DBPR valve mechanism is activated. In the down position the valve
mechanism in inactive.
AUTO/MANUAL Switch
In the up position the valve mechanism is controlled automatically. In the down position
the valve mechanism is controlled manually (MANUAL mode is for maintenance only).
UP/DOWN Switch
Selects the direction of movement of the valve piston when in MANUAL mode. In the up
position, the DBPR internal pressure will increase. In the down position, the DBPR internal
pressure will decrease.
GAIN Adjustment
Adjusts sensitivity of the DBPR to pressure changes when in AUTO mode. Clockwise
increases sensitivity, counterclockwise decreases sensitivity.
PRESSURE ADJUST
Sets value of commanded control pressure when in AUTO mode.
SAFETY LED
When LED is on indicates fault condition: DBPR internal pressure exceeds maximum
allowable pressure.
LIMIT LED
When LED is ON it indicates that the DBPR internal pump/dome load pressure (behind the
diaphragm) is greater than the connected flow system pressure by a preset value. The
preset amount of overpressure is required to completely shut in flow from the connected
system. The DBPR pump will stop until the connected flow system pressure changes
causing the DBPR pump to raise or lower the dome load pressure behind the diaphragm.
When this LED is OFF it means the DBPR internal pump/dome load pressure is less than
the pressure required to completely shut in flow based on the current system pressure
reading.
STOP LED
Indicates that the DBPR has been commanded to stop. This could be due to the
START/STOP switch being set to STOP, or it could indicate that the pump piston has
reached the end of its stroke and a limit switch has been triggered.
SET Switch
This is a momentary switch that selects either the connected flow System pressure or the
Pressure Control Setpoint to be displayed in the LCD display. When the SET switch is in
the up position, the Set Point pressure is displayed. In the down position (default) the
connected System pressure is displayed.
LCD Display
Displays value of selected pressures in psig. When no other switches are changed from
the standard positions the System pressure of the connected flow system is displayed.
Other values that can be displayed include the Set Point Pressure and the Pump Dome
Load pressure.
SYSTEM/SET Z & S
Zero and Span potentiometers for scaling the LCD display. Preset at factory. It is possible
to use the READ Z and S potentiometers to adjust the pressure that is displayed as a
result of the signal from the System Pressure transducer that is inside the Valve box. The
SET Z and S potentiometers can be used to adjust the pressure Setpoint that is displayed
when the SET switch is held in the up position.
NOTE: With the exception of minor adjustment of the READ Z potentiometer to adjust
transducer drift at zero pressure over time, it is not recommended that the user adjust
these potentiometers. Contact Coretest Systems, Inc. for more information.
3.7.2.2 Rear Panel
Figure 2 - DBPR-5 Rear Panel (optional RS-232)
FRONT PANEL/COMPUTER Switch

Selects input source for commanded control pressure. In the COMPUTER position, the
Set Point pressure is controlled via the RS-232 interface connector (This may NOT be an
RS-232 based DBPR. Actual control protocol depends on the particular DBPR and should
be verified by reading the serial number on the back of the controller and contacting
Coretest Systems, Inc. for more information about this unit). In the FRONT PANEL
position, the Set Point pressure is controlled from the front panel controls.
TRANSDUCER Connector
Connection to the DBPR VALVE BOX. Provides transducer and fault detection signals to
the DBPR ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX.
MOTOR Connector
Connection to the DBPR VALVE BOX. Provides power and motor command outputs to
the DBPR valve drive motor.
POWER
This assembly includes the ON/OFF power switch, the power connection for 115 or 220
VAC, and a fuse holder for a 2.5 Amp fuse.
RS-232 Connector (optional)

Connection to a standard RS-232 serial computer port. Allows computer control of the
commanded control pressure.
NOTE: This connector may NOT be an RS-232 connection even though it is labeled as
such. Actual control protocol depends on the particular DBPR and how it was originally
ordered. The actual rear RS-232 connector configuration should be verified by reading the
serial number on the back of the controller and contacting Coretest Systems, Inc. for more
information about this unit).
3.7.3 DBPR-5 Valve Box

The DBPR-5 Control VALVE BOX contains the BPR dome loaded valve; its associated
dome load pump controlled by a stepper motor/controller; the BPR/Connected System
pressure transducer; and the DBPR dome load pressure transducer. The DBPR-5 VALVE
BOX interfaces with the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX to control the connected
system maximum pressure.
Figure 3 - DBPR Valve Assembly (front view)
Figure 4 - DBPR Valve Assembly (rear view)
Figure 5 - Inside the Control Valve box.
3.7.4 Basic Theory of Operation of the DBPR-5 System

The DBPR-5 Digital Back Pressure Regulator is a precision pressure control valve capable
of controlling the maximum pressure in a gas, single-phase fluid, or multiple phase fluid
system. The DBPR-5 uses a patented (U.S. patent #4936340) technique for controlling
the maximum pressure in a system. Using advanced servo-control electronics in
conjunction with a specially designed motor driven valve, the DBPR-5 is capable of
accurately controlling back pressure with a high degree of accuracy.
The DBPR-5 can be configured as a precision pressure bleed or relief valve or as a

precision back pressure regulator.
Figure 6 - Flow System Layouts
The basic operation of the DBPR-5 system can be easily illustrated using one of the
configurations in Figure 6 as an example. Assume, for the moment, that we want to
ensure that the pressure at the "PRESSURE SOURCE" does not exceed 2000 psi. Also
assume that we have connected the DBPR-5 VALVE BOX as shown in Figure 6 above.
The PRESSURE ADJUST has been set at 2000 psi, and the AUTO/MANUAL switch has
been switched to the AUTO mode, and the START/STOP switch has been set to START.
We are now ready to start using the system as a precision relief valve.
We now turn our PRESSURE SOURCE system on, and pressure starts to build up. At
the instant we flipped the START/STOP switch, the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL
BOX starts comparing the actual pressure, which it gets from the system transducer signal,
and the desired pressure, which was set at 2000 psi. As long as the system pressure is
less than the desired pressure, the DBPR-5 keeps the DBPR valve closed. In our case if
the system pressure is less than 2000 psi, the valve remains closed.
Pressure keeps rising and the system is now just slightly higher than 2000 psi. The DBPR-
5 system senses this and starts to open the DDBPR valve. Pressure is then bled until the
pressure drops to 2000 psi, at which point the valve stops, detecting no difference between
the desired and the actual pressure. This process of sensing actual pressure, comparing
Actual vs. Desired pressure, and commanding the BPR valve to correct for any difference
occurs quickly and continuously. This allows the DBPR-5 to provide dynamic, precision
control of the system pressure.
3.7.5 How the DBPR-5 Valve Works

The DBPR-5 valve has three major components: 1) the drive stepper motor/indexer, 2) the
high pressure dome load pump assembly (includes pump Dome load pressure transducer),
and 3) the flow valve head (includes connected Flow System pressure transducer). The
drive motor section of the DBPR-5 valve consists of a stepper motor and the hardware
needed to translate rotational motion of the motor to linear motion of the pump piston. The
high pressure dome load pump and flow valve sections are separated by a diaphragm. In
operation, the DBPR-5 is a dome loaded valve that uses an incompressible fluid (usually
vacuum pump oil) to create the dome load pressure as the pump piston moves back and
forth displacing the surrounding liquid volume to adjust the pressure on the pump side of
the diaphragm. A single stroke of the piston in the STANDARD DBPR covers a range from
150-7500 psi (optionally to 10,000 psi).
There are two pressure transducers in the DBPR Control Box. One pressure transducer
called the Pump Dome Load transducer monitors the pressure inside the pump piston
region behind the diaphragm. This transducer is used to control the pump motor and
ensure that safe operating pressures are not exceeded. The second pressure transducer
monitors the connected Flow System pressure. The pressures of these two transducers
are used to control the dome load pump and maintain an overpressure or equal pressure
situation between the dome load side of the diaphragm and the flow system pressure.
When the dome load pressure is above the flow system pressure the pressure in the flow
system will rise. When the dome load pressure is equal to or less than the flow system
pressure, flow through the valve head will be initiated and the flow system pressure will fall
or be maintained constant.
Figure 7 - Inside the Valve Box
Pressurized
Pump Region
(dome loaded
area) behind
the diaphragm.
Figure 8 Pump and Standard Valve Head Cross Section
3.7.6 CONTROL BOX FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION AND USE

There are two basic modes of operation: MANUAL mode and AUTO mode. Each
mode is outlined below:
3.7.6.1 MANUAL / AUTO SWITCH
3.7.6.1.1 Manual Mode

MANUAL mode is only used during the set-up, maintenance, and troubleshooting of the
DBPR-5. It provides direct control of the DBPR valve piston movement. It allows the user to
manually move the valve piston up or down to any desired position when used in conjunction
with the START/STOP switch.
MANUAL mode is selected by setting the AUTO/MANUAL switch to the MANUAL position.
When in MANUAL mode, the front panel controls of the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL
BOX operates as follows:
The START/STOP switch - will initiate or stop the DBPR-5 valve piston movement in the
direction set by the UP/DOWN switch. While in the MANUAL mode the piston movement is
not controlled by pressure and can develop pressure when moving in the UP direction. It
could become necessary to open the Bleed/Fill thumbscrew valve to release pressure behind
the diaphragm when using the MANUAL mode in the Up direction.
The UP/DOWN switch - selects the direction of movement of the DBPR-5 dome load pump
piston when in the MANUAL mode only. UP will increase the DBPR-5 internal pressure;
DOWN will decrease the DBPR-5 internal pressure. When in the AUTO mode this switch will
not have any effect. It is recommended to keep this in the DOWN position when not being
used in the MANUAL mode.
PRESSURE ADJUST - not used in MANUAL mode.
GAIN - not used in MANUAL mode.
FRONT/COMPUTER Switch (back panel) Not used in Manual mode.
3.7.6.1.2 Auto Mode
AUTO mode operates the DBPR-5 as a precision pressure controller. When operating in the
AUTO mode, the connected flow System pressure and the control Set-Point pressure
combine to automatically command the DBPR-5 valve to close and open to maintain the
connected flow System pressure to the desired set point value.
AUTO mode is selected by setting the AUTO/MANUAL switch to the up position. When in
AUTO mode, the front panel controls of the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX operate
as follows:
The START/STOP switch - will initiate or stop the DBPR-5. If in the STOP position the DBPR
valve will not operate.
The UP/DOWN switch this switch has no function while in Auto Mode. It controls the
direction of the piston when in Manual mode and the Start switch is initiated.
PRESSURE ADJUST - used to set the desired pressure. NOTE: This knob is always active
when FRONT/COMPUTER switch is set to FRONT. If the rear panel FRONT/COMPUTER
switch is in the COMPUTER position then an external signal is required to adjust the Set-
Point pressure and the front panel knob is not functional.
GAIN* - adjusts sensitivity on the DBPR-5 system to pressure changes (see Gain control
discussion below).
NOTE: The GAIN control determines how sensitive that valve is to changing fluid or flow
pressure conditions. At lower gains the valve does not react as rapidly. At higher gains the
valve can react more rapidly hence controlling pressure more precisely. If single-phase fluids
are used, the gain control can be set at higher values (clockwise). The gain may have to be
reduced (counterclockwise) if flow pressures change rapidly or two or more phase flow is
being used. Some experimentation will have to be used to determine the proper gain for
each situation.
FRONT/COMPUTER switch (back panel) - when FRONT is selected, the PRESSURE

ADJUST control knob on the front panel is active. When COMPUTER is selected the rear
panel computer communications port (normally labeled RS-232) is used to set the desired
pressure. NOTE: Even though the rear connector is labeled RS-232 it may not be configured
for that type of input. If there is a question about the rear panel RS-232 connector
configuration please contact Coretest Systems, Inc with the Serial Number located on the
rear of the control box for information that is specific to this unit.
3.7.6.2 Front Panel System Status and Fault Indicators
In order to set up, operate and maintain the DBPR-5, the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL
BOX provides the user with the ability to monitor the status of the system. Each of the items
discussed below is shown in Figure 1.
3.7.6.2.1 Front Panel LCD Digital Display and Set Switch:
The LCD Display allows the user to monitor either the connected System pressure or the
Set-Point pressure by way of the momentary SET switch next to it. When the SET switch
is in the normal Down position the connected flow System pressure is displayed (default).
When the SET switch is flipped to the Up position the pressure Set-Point is displayed.
3.7.6.2.2 Front Panel STOP LED:
The STOP LED, when lit, indicates that the motion of the DBPR-5 valve has stopped.
This will occur when:
The START/STOP switch is in the STOP position, or
One of the piston position mechanical limit switches inside the Valve box has been
triggered,
or
The SAFETY LIMIT LED is lit at the same time indicating the dome load pump pressure is
at maximum pressure over the set pressure or a failure mode.
3.7.6.2.3 Front Panel LIMIT LED:
The LIMIT LED indicates a special mode of operation which the DBPR-5 will automatically
initiate under specific conditions. When this LED is On it means that the pressure on the
dome load side of the diaphragm is higher than the Set-Point pressure by a pre-calibrated
amount. If the system is operating in the AUTO mode, but the System pressure is low
and not reacting to changing pressure in the DBPR-5 valve dome load region, the DBPR-
5 electronics will detect this and stop the DBPR-5 valve piston in a position that creates a
pressure slightly higher than the Set-Point pressure. When this pre-calibrated dome load
overpressure occurs the LIMIT LED will light up indicating that the difference between the
Set-Point pressure and the System pressure is at its maximum value. When the
connected System pressure builds up and its value approaches the Set-Point pressure,
the DBPR-5 electronics will detect this, the LIMIT LED will extinguish and the DBPR-5 will
begin to regulate normally. If this mode of operation was not incorporated significant
overshoot past the Set-Point pressure would occur before the Valve could react to the
System pressure.
NOTE: If the System pressure remains low and the LIMIT LED is On, this could indicate
that the diaphragm is compromised and requires replacement as it cannot stop the
pressure created by the connected flow System. Normally this means 1)some trash has
become lodged between the diaphragm and the valve head, 2) the diaphragm is old and
has become deformed by high pressure use over an extended period of time or 3)
excessively hot fluids have passed through the DBPR Valve and caused the Teflon
diaphragm to become soft and deformed.
3.7.6.2.4 Front Panel Safety LED
The SAFETY LED, when lit, indicates that the system is trying to operate beyond normal
operating pressures. When this occurs, the STOP LED will also come on and the DBPR-
5 will stop. This condition can be removed by going into the MANUAL mode with the
Up/Down switch set to Down. When Start is selected the piston will move back lowering
the pressure in the DBPR-5 valve.
3.7.7 INSTALLATION / INITIAL SETUP PROCEDURE
When installing the DBPR-5 system, the following steps should be followedZ
STEP 1: Insure the rear panel Power switch is in the OFF position. Attach the power cord
to the rear panel of the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX and plug it into an
appropriate wall socket. DO NOT TURN POWER ON.
STEP 2: Attach the transducer and motor drive cables to the DBPR-5 VALVE BOX and to
the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX.
STEP 3: Plumb the DBPR-5 VALVE BOX to the fluid/gas system to be controlled. A
plumbing schematic for setting up the DBPR-5 as a back pressure regulator or relief valve
is shown in Figure 5 as described in the Basic Theory section above. Attach the fluid inlet
(side port) and outlet (center port) lines to the correct ports on the valve. Two Autoclave
Engineer W-125 type 1/8 speedbite fittings have been provided for this purpose.
STEP 4: Set the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX front panel switches as follows:
START/STOP switch: STOP

AUTO/MANUAL switch: AUTO
UP/DOWN switch: DOWN
PRESSURE ADJUST: fully counterclockwise
GAIN: fully counterclockwise
STEP 5: Turn ON the ON/OFF A/C power switch located on the rear panel of the DBPR-5
ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX.
3.7.8 OPERATION
3.7.8.1 Basic Manual Operation of the DBPR-5

Prior to operating the DBPR-5 system, ensure that all INSTALLATION / Initial SETUP
PROCEDURE steps have been completed. Once this is checked, the steps outlined
below will initiate the operation of the DBPR-5 from the front panel of the Control Box. If
you do not get the appropriate indication or the DBPR-5 does not act as expected, consult
the Troubleshooting Section of this manual for information.
STEP 1: Check to see that fluid flow from the system to be regulated is shut off and place
the AUTO / MANUAL switch on the front panel to AUTO. Insure the START / STOP
switch is set to STOP.
ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX. The DBPR-5 requires a warm up period of several
minutes to obtain maximum stability. This is due to initial warm up drift in the electronics
and transducers. The DBPR-5 status indicators should read as follows:
STOP LED: ON
LIMIT LED: OFF
SAFETY LED: OFF
STEP 3: Using the PRESSURE ADJUST knob while holding the SET switch UP on the
front panel of the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX, set the digital display pressure
to 1000 psi. Make sure that the SET momentary switch is held in the UP position so the
set pressure is displayed on the LCD Display.
STEP 4: Set the START/STOP switch from the STOP to the START position (up). The
DBPR-5 will momentarily move and will make a vibrating noise. The DBPR-5 status
should read as follows:
STOP LED: OFF

LIMIT LED: ON
SAFETY LED: OFF
The DBPR-5 is now internally pressurized (i.e. in the pump region of the valve) to slightly
above the 1000 psi set pressure.
STEP 5: Now start system fluid flow into the DBPR-5 valve.
STEP 6: Monitor the System pressure at the digital display (with the SET switch allowed
to return to is normal down position). As the system pressure builds up and approaches
1000 psi, the LIMIT LED will extinguish and the DBPR-5 will begin to actively regulate the
system pressure and allow fluid to exit.
STEP 7: If your desired set pressure is > 1000 psi, slowly increase the set pressure by
holding the SET switch UP and rotating the PRESSURE ADJUST knob to display the
desired value on the digital display. (Doing this slowly will increase the life span of the
diaphragm, rapid increases will shorten it.)
STEP 8: When you have reached your desired pressure, you can adjust the GAIN control
clockwise to increase the sensitivity of the valve. GAIN can be increased as long as the
system remains stable. If the DBPR-5 begins to act erratically as the GAIN is increased,
decrease the GAIN until the system is again stable.
STEP 9: Upon completing an experiment at pressure higher than 1000 psi, slowly turn the
PRESSURE ADJUST knob counterclockwise prior to turning the DBPR-5 START/STOP
switch to STOP and turning power off to the control unit.
3.7.8.2 Optional RS-232 Interface Operation
Refer to the DGH manual supplied for information on interfacing to the RS-232 interface
connector on the back of the unit. The DGH unit is also supplied with software for
communicating with the D/A module. The module number is the 4171 and it is a 0-5 VDC
analog output module. When control of the set point pressure selector switch is set to the
computer then the controller tries to reference to the set point pressure from the DGH
module. The 0-5 Volt signal is proportional to the control pressure, where the maximum
output of five volts would be approximately equal to the full scale output from the
transducer (i.e. 10,000 psi) for this case the slope of the pressure vs. Voltage curve in
millivolts would be 2 psi/millivolt. To set the control pressure use the AO command
($1AO+02000.00) would equal 2000 mv (2 volts), which for a 10,000 psi transducer with a
0 to 5 volt output would be a set pressure of approximately 4000 psi. There is a slight
offset between the actual control pressure and the set point pressure when using the
DGH module. This is because of a zero pressure offset in the pressure transducer.
3.7.8.3 Operation of the DBPR-5 via External Control (rear connector)

Prior to operating the DBPR-5 system, ensure that all INSTALLATION / Initial SETUP
PROCEDURE steps have been completed. Once this is checked, the steps outlined
below will initiate the operation of the DBPR-5. If you do not get the appropriate indication
or the DBPR-5 does not act as expected, consult the Troubleshooting Section of this
manual for information.
STEP 1: Check to see that fluid flow from the system to be regulated is shut off and place
the DBPR Controller front panel AUTO / MANUAL switch to AUTO. Insure the START /
STOP switch is set to STOP.
STEP 2: At the rear panel of the DBPR Controller be sure the COMPUTER / FRONT
PANEL switch is set to COMPUTER.
CONTROLLER. The DBPR-5 requires a warm up period of several minutes to obtain
maximum stability. This is due to initial warm up drift in the electronics and transducers.
The DBPR-5 status indicators should read as follows:
STOP LED: ON
LIMIT LED: OFF
SAFETY LED: OFF
STEP 4: From the computer controller (not the DBPR Controller) send a Set-Point
pressure of 1000 psi to the DBPR Controller. After sending the Set-Point pressure
command to the DBPR check the value that was sent by holding the SET switch (at the
front panel of the DBPR Controller) in the UP position. The DBPR Controller digital
display should read close to the value that you sent via the computer controller. Make
sure that the SET momentary switch is held in the UP position so read the Set-Point
pressure displayed on the LCD Display.
STEP 5: Set the START/STOP switch from the STOP to the START position (up). The
DBPR-5 will momentarily move and will make a vibrating noise. The DBPR-5 status
should read as follows:
STOP LED: OFF

LIMIT LED: ON
SAFETY LED: OFF
The DBPR-5 is now internally pressurized (i.e. in the pump region of the valve) to slightly
above the 1000 psi set pressure.
STEP 6: Now start system fluid flow into the DBPR-5 valve.
STEP 7: Monitor the System pressure at the digital display (with the SET switch allowed
to return to is normal down position). As the system pressure builds up and approaches
1000 psi, the LIMIT LED will extinguish and the DBPR-5 will begin to actively regulate the
system pressure and allow fluid to exit.
STEP 8: If your desired set pressure is > 1000 psi, slowly increase the set pressure by
sending a new pressure to the DBPR from the connected computer controller. (Doing this
slowly will increase the life span of the diaphragm, rapid increases will shorten it.)
STEP 9: When you have reached your desired pressure, you can adjust the GAIN control
knob at the front of the DBPR Controller by rotating it clockwise to increase the sensitivity
of the valve. GAIN can be increased as long as the system remains stable. If the DBPR-
5 begins to act erratically as the GAIN is increased, decrease the GAIN until the system is
again stable.
STEP 10: Upon completing an experiment at pressure higher than 1000 psi, slowly lower
the Set-Pressure to zero prior to turning the DBPR-5 START/STOP switch to STOP and
turning power off to the control unit.
3.7.9 MAINTENANCE
3.7.9.1 Replacing the Teflon Diaphragm in a STANDARD DBPR
This will be the most frequent maintenance procedure you will perform on the DBPR-5.
1. The back pressure regulator should be rebuilt after each test to insure proper
operation during the next test.
2. Locate the DBPR Valve Box.
3. Disconnect the inlet and outlet tubing from the DBPR head.
4. Disconnect the two cables at the back of the DBPR regulator head assembly.
5. Remove the DBPR Valve Box from the cabinet and place it on a tabletop where
it is easy to work on.
6. Loosen the transducer tubing connected to the head of the DBPR (it will be
necessary remove the top cover in order to loosen the small Swagelok
connector end of the transducer tubing so it can be rotated out of the way).
7. Remove the six head bolts that hold the valve head of the DBPR in place.
After removing the tubing that is connected to the DBPR head carefully slide
the head off the valve body.
8. When removing the head assembly, make sure not to lose the small center
plug and ring spacer inside the head assembly as these are critical for
reassembly and the DBPR will not function correctly without them.
9. Pry out the old diaphragm with a sharp pointed object, making sure not to
scratch the metal surfaces. The fill valve and syringe can also be used to help
force the diaphragm out by opening the valve and forcing oil into the cavity
behind the diaphragm, forcing the diaphragm outward.
10. Install a new diaphragm. It may be helpful to purge air from behind the
diaphragm by opening the fill valve and using the syringe to inject oil in while
holding a finger against the diaphragm. Inject until oil begins exiting around the
diaphragm. Close the fill valve. Finally, wipe the area clean of oil.
NOTE: When replacing the diaphragm it is recommended to put the bottom of the
diaphragm in first and squirt some oil into the area behind the diaphragm using the Purge
Valve and a syringe with degassed oil. Once oil is behind the diaphragm, work the
diaphragm into the cavity from the bottom to the top. Be sure to displace any gas bubbles
behind the diaphragm.
11. Replace the valve head, making sure that the center plug and ring spacer are
in place and the grooved sides of the spacer ring and center stub go towards
the inside of the metal cavities, away from the Teflon diaphragm. The smooth
flat side goes against the diaphragm.
12. Replace the six head bolts and tighten them in a equal force crossing pattern
two or three times to a maximum of 10 foot pounds. Usually about as tight as
you can get them by hand with a 6 inch long hex wrench. The main priority is
to tighten the bolts such that the squeeze on the Teflon diaphragm is equal all
the way around and the gap between the flow head and the pump housing is
equal all the way around.
13. Retighten the system pressure transducer fitting.
14. Replace the DBPR regulator head unit inside the top left cabinet and reconnect
all cables and tubing.
15. Refill the pump region of the BPR valve using the supplied syringe.
a) Fill the syringe 1/4 full with vacuum oil and reconnect on the fill valve.
b) Open the fill valve.
c) Set the ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX switches as follows:
d) START/STOP to STOP
e) AUTO/MANUAL to MANUAL
f) UP/DOWN to DOWN
16. Set the START/STOP switch to START. The valve will slowly retract until it hits
a mechanical safety limit switch. At this time the STOP LED will turn on on the
front panel of the electronics unit. The pump piston is now fully retracted.
17. With the syringe inserted in the luer type fitting on the fill valve, open the fill
valve and hold down on the syringe body while pulling up on the plunger. This
pulls a vacuum on the cavity of the syringe and valve pulling gas out of any
void spaces. Next, push down on the syringe plunger pressurizing the
chamber.
18. While holding pressure on the syringe, close the fill valve.
19. It is important to follow this procedure and make sure no air enters the pump
cavity as this can cause erratic behavior.
20. Set the ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX switches as follows:

a) START/STOP to STOP
b) AUTO/MANUAL to MANUAL
c) UP/DOWN to UP
21. While monitoring the STOP LED, set the START/STOP switch to START.
When the STOP LED goes out and the pump stops, flip the START/STOP
switch back to STOP. Flip the AUTO/MANUAL switch to AUTO.
3.7.9.2 Replacing the Teflon Diaphragm When the Gas Head is Used
The DBPR-5 uses a special pump head with an o-ring groove just behind the dome
load diaphragm. This is to seal gas out of the pump oil region. This type of head
must be ordered when the DBPR was originally sold. The standard head will not have
this groove and if used with gases such as CO2 the gas could bypass the Teflon
diaphragm and enter the pump oil region which would result in the oil volume swelling
and the internal pump pressure increasing to a point where the DBPR can no longer
reduce the dome load pressure to zero.
The only difference in the procedure is due to an additional metal diaphragm and o-
ring that is installed between the pump body and the Teflon diaphragm.
Notice no oil color behind Teflon diaphragm. This is due to a metal diaphragm
located just behind the Teflon diaphragm.
Remove the Teflon and metal diaphragms to expose the o-ring seal behind the metal.
Remove both diaphragms and inspect the metal diaphragm for any cracks. If it is not
cracked it can be used again with a new Teflon diaphragm.
Metal diaphragm
o-ring
Inspect the o-ring behind the metal diaphragm for swelling or any damage. If it
appears to be swollen or damaged, replace it.
3.7.9.3 Tightening the Diaphragm Head Bolts

Using a hex head wrench, tighten the six head bolts evenly in an alternating cross head
pattern to a maximum of 10 foot/pounds. The main priority is to tighten the bolts such that
the squeeze on the Teflon diaphragm is equal all the way around and the gap between the
flow head and the pump housing is equal all the way around.
Check the bolts before every use to prevent loss of pump fluid during a test.
3.7.9.4 Refilling the DBPR-5 Valves Pump Region with Oil
STEP 1: Set the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX switches to the

following positions:

AUTO/MANUAL switch MANUAL
UP/DOWN switch: DOWN
STEP 2: Set the START/STOP switch to START. The DBPR-5 valve will slowly retract
until it hits a mechanical safety limit. At this time, the STOP LED will turn on. The valve is
now fully retracted.
STEP 3:Turn the power to the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX off.
STEP 4: Remove the housing cover to the DBPR-5 VALVE BOX.
STEP 5: Fill a 10 cc syringe one eighth full with vacuum pump oil. Make sure that there is
no air in the syringe.
STEP 6: Insert the syringe on the Luer type fill port and valve located above the diaphragm
on the pump portion of the DBPR-5 valve. Prior to opening the valve, pull out on the
syringe to draw a vacuum on the Luer valve. Then apply pressure while opening the Luer
valve and fill the pump portion of the valve with fluid.
STEP 7: While making sure to maintain pressure on the syringe, close the Luer valve.
(This process is important to follow to insure that air does not enter the pump portion of the
DBPR-5 valve. If air does not enter the system, erratic behavior of the valve is likely to
occur.)
STEP 8: Replace the cover on the DBPR-5 VALVE BOX.
STEP 9: Set the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX switches to the following
positions:

AUTO/MANUAL switch: MANUAL
UP/DOWN switch: UP
STEP 10: Turn power to the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX on.
3.7.9.5 Replacing the Valve Pump Seal

NOTE: The photos below show the pump body used when the extended head
DBPR valve is used. The only difference in the seal replacement procedure used
between this pump body and the standard DBPR pump body is the shape of the
extended head pump body has a single outlet port in the center (as shown below)
instead of the large opening for the Teflon diaphragm used in the standard DBPR
pump body.
1) Remove the six bolts that hold the flow head and internal ring and center stub.
2) Remove the flow head front plate and flow control ring with center stub.
3) Remove the Teflon diaphragm and stuff an absorbent rag or paper towel in the
opening to soak up oil that will drip out.
4) Rotate the Valve Box upside down and remove the screws that hold the pump
stepper motor bracket in place. Leave all wires connected.
5) Rotate the Valve Box back upright and hold the stepper motor toward the back
of the box while you remove four bolts that hold the pump housing to the flow
head as shown above.
6) NOTE: The pump housing shown above is actually the Extended head pump
housing. The standard flow valve pump housing is the plate that holds the
Teflon diaphragm when the front valve housing is removed.
7) Remove the pump housing as shown above.
8) Disassemble the pump piston assembly from the pump housing of the flow
valve as shown above.
9) Remove the piston seal backup ring as shown above to reveal the piston seal
as shown below.
10) Remove the seal from the cavity.
11) Photo of the piston seal area disassembled. This photo shows the black o-ring
side of the seal for future reference.
12) Replace the seal with a new one. Be sure the black o-ring side of the seal is
facing inside the piston cavity as shown above.
13) Replace the piston seal backup ring over the piston with the ridged side facing
the seal as shown above.
14) Replace the piston assembly in the piston head as shown above.
15) Be sure the piston assembly is all the way down flat against the piston head
and the piston is pushed down against the spring as shown above.
16) Place the four piston assembly mounting bolts through the pump housing
mounting holes and slide the assembly back against the motor housing inside
the Valve Box.
17) Be sure the two threaded holes (ports for transducer and bleed valve) are
oriented as shown above with one pointing up and the other pointing toward
the pressure transducers.
18) Tighten the mounting bolts to the motor assembly. Then reinstall the valve
head with Teflon diaphragm and flow control ring / center stub.
19) Reconnect all the tubing between the side threaded opening of the pump
housing and the upper transducer then reconnect the tubing between the top
threaded opening of the pump housing and the bleed valve.
20) The complete pump housing and pressure transducer void space will then
have to be refilled with oil such that there are NO gas bubbles in the system.
See the section on Refilling the DBPR-5 Valves Pump Region with Oil above.
3.7.9.6 Calibrating System Pressure Transducer

STEP 1: Let the DBPR-5 ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX warm up for at least 20 minutes
prior to calibrating.
STEP 2: Make sure the system pressure is at zero pressure and adjust the READ Z (zero)
potentiometer on the front panel for the system transducer so that the value reads zero.
STEP 3: Apply a known pressure to the transducer. This can be accomplished by

attaching a calibrated gauge or transducer to the system transducer along with a pressure
source.
STEP 4: Adjust the READ S (span) potentiometer for the system transducer so that the
readout shows the same value as the calibrated source in psi.
Be sure to
use the
READ
potentiomet
STEP 5: Drop the pressure back to 0 and recalibrate the zero value.
3.7.9.7 Adjusting the High Limit Setpoint
STEP 1: Turn off power at the back of the controller box and remove the top cover.
STEP 2: Attach DBPR valve cables to controller, adjust setpoint to 1000 setpoint and set to
AUTO and set START/STOP switch to START. The high limit LED light should eventually
come ON.
STEP 3: Go to the Control Box and locate the Calibration Set Switch as illustrated below.
Set the System/Dome Load switch, located on the top of the front board, to the rear
position. While switched toward the rear of the Control Box it will be reading the pressure
inside the dome load pump region. This value is the current High Limit pressure setting.
STEP 4: The front readout should read a value above the current 1000 psi setpoint. If a
PEEK diaphragm is to be used, a higher limit pressure is required to make a good seal at
low flow rates.
STEP 5: With the System/Dome Load Switch toward the back of the Control box, adjust
the High Limit setpoint potentiometer (the small screw head on top of the potentiometer
located on the left side of the rear controller board) until the digital displayed pressure
reads the desired value. It should be about 500 to 600 psi for the Teflon diaphragm and at
least 2000 psi if using PEEK diaphragm.
STEP 6: Set the System/Dome Load Switch to the forward position to display the current
System pressure again and then turn off the Controller and replace the top cover.
3.7.10 TROUBLESHOOTING THE DBPR-5

3.7.10.1 Valve Making a Popping Noise
This can occur when the pump piston is allowed to move farther than is should and when it
reaches the end of it stroke the drive motor overloads and the stops and restarts over and
over again making the popping noise.
The fix for this situation is to adjust the pump piston limit switches so they STOP the pump
piston just before it reaches the end of its stroke.
1) Turn off power at the Control Box and disconnect the two cables at the back of the
DBPR Valve Box.
2) Remove the top cover of the VALVE BOX by removing the four screws in the
bottom of the box and sliding the top cover off.
3) Reconnect the two cables at the back of the Valve box.
4) Flip the START/STOP switch at the front of the Control box to STOP.
5) Flip the AUTO/MANUAL switch to AUTO.
6) Turn ON the power at the back of the Control Box.
7) Briefly flip the START/STOP switch to START so the popping noise is again heard
and inspect the valve piston position indicating rod as shown in the illustration
below.
8) Notice where the piston indicator rod is located, far front or far back. Then switch
the START/STOP back to STOP.
9) Flip the AUTO/MANUAL switch to MANUAL.
10) If the valve piston position indicator rod is toward the back, flip the UP/DOWN
switch to UP. If the valve piston position indicator rod is toward the front flip the
UP/DOWN switch to DOWN.
11) Briefly flip the START/STOP to the START position and move the piston indicator
rod away from an end and to the middle of its movement. Then flip the
START/STOP switch to STOP. If moving UP it may be necessary to open the front
Bleed / Fill valve to keep the pump pressure from reaching the overpressure limit.
Be sure to close the Bleed / Fill valve when the piston is in the middle to keep from
accidentally pulling air into the system.
12) With a small pair of needle nose pliers, bend the limit switch tab slightly toward the
middle of pump assembly so it will be triggered earlier when the piston position
indicator rod moves toward it. Do not bend the tab a lot and be careful not to put
pressure on the hinge point of the limit switch as it could break.
13) After bending the limit switch tab slightly, flip the UP/DOWN switch so it will move
the piston toward the limit switch that you just adjusted and the flip the
START/STOP switch to START until the piston indicator rod moves against the limit
switch that you just adjusted. If the piston stops without making the popping noise
and the STOP light comes on the front panel of the Control box, all is good and you
can replace the top cover of the Valve Box. If it still pops perform the above
mentioned steps to adjust the limit switch tab a little more.
14) NOTE: If you see the limit switch tab move significantly but the piston does not stop
moving it could be a bad limit switch and it may need replacing. This can be tested
by using your finger to move the limit switch tab to insure that it has moved enough
to trigger the limit and stop the piston.
3.7.10.2 Front Panel Stop Light Wont Operate In Auto Mode
The most probable cause for this is a leak in the pump fluid, either through the pump seal or
through the diaphragm. Remove the top cover and look under the valve head, near the
region where the pump valve body attaches to the flow head valve body and inspect for
evidence of pump oil. If oil is seen near the flow valve head, then the diaphragm is the
cause. If it is seen towards the pump-actuator interface, it is the pump seal that needs to be
replaced. Refer to the maintenance section for procedure regarding replacement of these
parts and filling the pump with fluid.
3.7.10.3 Valve Wont Hold Pressure At Low Flow Rates
This is probably caused by sand or dirt that has collected at the valve diaphragm seal and is
interfering with the ability of the valve to close down enough to make a proper seal. The
best way to correct this problem is to replace the diaphragm. Refer the maintenance
section for details regarding diaphragm replacement and pump filling.
3.7.10.4 Pressure Fluctuates More Than The Specifications Outlined

This problem typically involves one of the following:
1) A very erratic pressure flow source; this can only be corrected by improving
the performance of the pressure or supply source
2) Too high a flow rate for the valve; a valve with a higher flow coefficient is
required: contact Coretest Systems, Inc. for information
3) Trying to operate the valve at very low pressures with a high range pressure
transducer; this can be corrected by having pressure transducers of several
ranges which can be used for different flow-pressure conditions. Contact
Coretest Systems, Inc. for information on other transducers.
4) Particulates or other material trapped in diaphragm; replace diaphragm and
refill pump region.
5) One of the phases flowing out of the DBPR has large amounts of gas in
solution and the gas is flashing out of the liquid as the liquid exits the DBPR
valve outlet.
3.7.11 Misc. Drawings

3.7.11.1 Standard DBPR-5 Valve Head - Exploded View (bracket not included in standard DBPR)
3.7.11.2 Optional Gas Flow DBPR-5 Valve Head Exploded View (bracket not
included in standard DBPR)
DBPR-5 Gas Flow Valve Head Configuration (optional, must be ordered, body is different
from standard DBPR-5)
3.8 SFS-32 Sonic Fluid Separator (acoustic)
3.8.1 Introduction
The SFS-032 is a precision high-pressure and temperature fluid separator that also
uses an acoustic signal to monitor the position of the interface between two immiscible
phases. The SFS-032 measures the level of a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas interface in its
gravity-based 2-phase high-pressure separator. The interface position is reported
proportional to either the absolute internal volume of the vessel or relative to a user-
selectable position that can be reset by the operator at any time.
The manual contains installation and operating instructions for the SFS-032.
Instrument specifications and procedures for verifying proper operation are included.
Procedures are also included for adjusting the instrument to its performance
specification.
There are three major components of the SFS acoustic separator system;
1) The SFS Pulser/Receiver Electronics Control Box

2) The SFS high pressure/temperature separator vessel with acoustic transducer. The
separator vessel has two bores, one for collecting the mixed phases as they enter
and the other is used for acquiring interface level measurements.
Bore 1: Measures the interface position between 2 immiscible phases with the
acoustic transducer pulses.
Bore 2: The inlet bore, in which the two phases initially enter the vessel and
separate.
AND
3) A computer to run the SFS software program
See illustration of SFS separator body on the next page.
SFS high pressure/temperature separator body illustrated above.
3.8.2 SFS PULSER/RECEIVER ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX and CONNECTIONS
The SFS-32 electronics Control Box (shown above) is normally located inside the cabinet of
the system control computer. Be sure the USB cable is plugged into the control box at
the USB labeled port and the other end of the USB cable is plugged into the back of
the computer at an empty USB port.
Located on one end of the SFS-32 Electronics control box are two BNC connectors.
The only BNC connector that is used is labeled SFS. The other BNC connector is
NOT USED and should be left empty. The SFS BNC connector sends a pulse over
the connected coaxial cable to the acoustic transducer mounted in the high pressure
vessel and then receives the amplified echo signal from the acoustic transducer back
to the SFS-032 electronics and software for processing.
NOTE: Although it is not shown in the photo above there is a DC power

supply/adapter that should be plugged into a facility electrical outlet and the small DC
connector should plug into the control box to supply adequate power for reliable
operation. Sometimes the 5 volt power from the USB cable is not adequate.
3.8.3 Specifications
Table 1 Specifications
Parameter Value Units

Max Working Pressure 10,000 Psi
Temperature 15-150 Celsi
us
Weight 27 kg
Fluids Reservoir Oil and
Brine OR Liquid and
Gas
Total volume 490 ml ml
Maximum change of brine 200 ml
volume
Maximum change of oil 200 ml
volume
Typical volume resolution 0.06ml ml
Hysteresis* 0.3 ml ml
Fittings 1/8" AE Speed Bite
W125
Housing Hastelloy (SS or
Titanium are
available options)
Transducer Plastics and epoxy
Bore diameter 25.4 mm
Bore length 384 mm
Required Vertical 2.5 deg. from true
Positioning vertical
Table 2 Electronics Specifications
Property Value Units

Sampling frequency <1 Hertz
Warm-up time 1 minute
s
"Time of flight" resolution(selectable) Typical 80 nS
Transducer resonance frequency 1.5 MHz
Electronics Control Box 5 volts DC via 100-
Power supply requires AC voltage from USB cable and 220
100-220 VAC separate DC VAC
power supply.
*Due to fluid surface mechanics, i.e. reversal of the meniscus surface when changing
from rising to falling liquid levels or vice versa, a hysteresis effect occurs in the
measurements. To minimize this, the user should prepare the inner surfaces of the
separator in accordance with section below titled: Cleaning and Preparation.
3.8.4 Factory Calibration

Coretest has tested and calibrated the SFS-032 at room temperature. Calibration
constants such as transducer and electronic delays, distance between the transducer
and the reference target etc. are stored in the Configuration screen of the SFS
program on the computer.
Distilled water and hydraulic oil were used to simulate the reservoir fluids.
3.8.5 SAFETY, PREPARATION, ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION

This section contains information and instructions for basic Safety
precautions, preparing, installing and interfacing the SFS-032. It also
includes initial cleaning and inspection procedures, power and grounding
requirements, and installation instructions.
3.8.5.1 Safety
Do not operate in an explosive atmosphere.
Keep away from live circuits.
The SFS-032 separator is a high-pressure, high-temperature device, and

should be treated as such during operation. Damage to the device under
operation or improper assembly may lead to leakage, which can cause serious
injury to personnel.
The SFS pressure vessel is very heavy and care should be taken when lifting.
If possible we recommend mounting the body in its wall mount and leave the
heavy body of the vessel in the wall mount at all times. Disassemble the caps
and components from the vessel while leaving the heavy body mounted to the
wall. The BNC connector is on the bottom of the vessel and can be easily
damaged if the full weight of the vessel bears down on it.
3.8.5.2 Initial Inspection
This instrument was carefully inspected both mechanically and electrically
before shipment. It should be in perfect order upon receipt. To confirm this,
inspect the instrument for damage that may have occurred in transit. If damage
is apparent please notify your shipping company immediately as Coretest
Systems cannot be liable for damage in shipping.
3.8.5.3 Power Requirements
The SFS black control box should be powered by the USB cable power and
a power supply adapter that comes with the system. Plug the power
adapter into a source of electrical power (100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz) then
plug the DC plug into the SFS black control box at the small round power
port.
3.8.5.4 Cleaning and Preparation

To minimize hysteresis caused by fluid surface mechanics, the inner
surfaces of the separator should be treated. It is very important to prepare
the separator bores for use because as a water/oil interface moves down
the bore of the separator it can cling to a dirty bore wall at different rates
which will cause the interface to become deformed or stretched until it
deforms at an angle instead of flat across the bore. This deformation
causes the acoustic signal to be deformed or even lost as it strikes the
interface and is reflected at an angle instead of directly back to the acoustic
transducer.
The interface forms a bowlike meniscus that will bend more or less
depending on how much it adheres to the bore wall. The meniscus will
bend downward when moving down the bore and it will bow upward when
moving upward. The amount of time it takes to bend the meniscus from
downward to upward (and visa-versa) is called hysteresis as it will not
register the same amount of movement as a formed meniscus that is
moving. To minimize hysteresis caused by fluid surface mechanics, the
inner surfaces of the separator should be treated to create a surface that is
either water wet or neutral wettability.
There are two suggested methods:

1) coat the bores with Molykote PTFE, or
2) Rinse the bores with a weak low foam detergent mixture that does not
create foam when agitated. Laundry detergent powders are normally good
for this. Tide or Alconox brand lab detergent is a good example. After
cleaning the bores rinse AND wipe the bore surfaces with the detergent
mixture. Allow the bores to dry with the detergent coating the walls.
It is advisable to prepare the bores with one of the two methods before
every test.
Cleaning Option 1: Molykote PTFE procedure given below:

1. Dismantle the separator.
2. Clean all bores with toluene (or other suitable oil solvent) followed by
rinsing with clean water and finally rinse with acetone.
3. Air dry the bores.
4. Give each bore of the separator a moderate spray of Molykote and leave
the separator piece standing upside down for about fifteen (15) minutes
for the Molykote to dry.
Cleaning Option 2: Detergent Rinse procedure given below:

(Use a weak mixture of water and low foam detergent such as Alconox)
1. Dismantle the separator.
2. Clean all bores with toluene (or other suitable oil solvent) and air dry.
3. Create a weak low foam detergent mixture by using about 6 to 10
granules of Alconox (or other low foam detergent) per 100 milliliters of
water.
4. Rinse and WIPE each bore with a water / low foam detergent mixture.
Scrubbing each bore with this mixture will insure complete wetting with the
detergent.
5. Allow the bores to air dry. This will put a thin coat of surface active
detergent on the bore surface. (This method is NOT recommended when
the flow system will be recirculating. ONLY use this method when the
fluids entering the SFS vessel will immediately exit the flow system and
cannot come into contact with the core pore system.)
6. Clean and rinse the injector tubing and tip with this detergent water.
Reassemble the separator according to Section Assembling the Separator

Cell.
3.8.5.5 Assembling the Separator Cell

Use the disassembled view below to aid in the reassembly.
Leveling Stand /
Bracket Lower cap
Upper cap Acoustic

Transducer
Thrust ring
Thrust ring
Seal plug
Upper Mounting
Body screw holes
Seal plug Lower
Seal plug
Inspect all o-rings and replace if necessary.

1. Clean body of oil and brine
2. If the SFS vessel is not in its wall mount bracket, Place body upside
down on tabletop. (mounting bracket end up)
3. Make sure the target RING and TUBE are installed in the larger bore of
that end of the body. Rotate the notched end of the target TUBE such
that a notch opening is aligned with the bore cross groove so fluids can
easily pass from one bore to the other through the goove.
4. Place bottom endplug assembly (shown with acoustic transducer on
bottom in above illustration) on top of the open body end. It will only
go one way due to pins.
5. Place the tightening thrust ring over the top of the endplug down to the
shoulder of the endplug.
6. Place endcap over endplug and screw down hand tight. Then unscrew
a small amount if necessary to align the hole in the cap with the side
port of the body. See illustration below:
7. Tighten cap hex head screws in a crossing pattern to 7 foot pounds

each.
8. Rotate the assembly over (BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE
BNC CONNECTOR PROTRUDING OUT THE CAP YOU JUST
INSTALLED) and put the top endplug and endcap together in the same
fashion and the same tightening characteristics.
9. The separator is now assembled and ready to be placed into your
system. Use the cross section drawing below to insure correct
assembly.
3.8.6 USING THE SFS-032 SYSTEM

3.8.6.1 Placing the Separator in Your System and Connecting
1. Fasten the separator vessel bracket (black aluminum) to a firm, electrically
grounded, vertical surface. Place the assembled SFS high pressure vessel in
the bracket on the wall and use the screws in the Leveling Stand to adjust the
separator to a position that is within 2.5 of true vertical.
2. Make sure that the SFS-032 black Electronics Control Box is placed in a
suitable location that is not exposed to heat, dust or liquids. It can be placed
on top of the control computer CPU case if possible.
3. Connect the acoustic transducer coaxial cable to the BNC connector on the
end of the black box controller that is labeled "SFS". Connect the other end
of this coaxial cable to the acoustic transducer mounted in the bottom seal
plug of the two-phase separator.
4. Connect the SFS-032 black control box to the host computer via the USB
connector.
5. Be sure the DC power supply/adapter is connected and powered.
6. Connect any high-pressure tubing to the two-phase separator as desired.
Connect all pressure fittings according to manufacturer's specifications. No
special torque wrenches or mandrels are required.
3.8.6.2 How to Start Using The SFS-032 (in CSI flow systems)
To start the SFS-032, perform the following steps.
1. Carefully read and follow the instructions in the sections above this
one. Pay particular attention to the section - Cleaning and Preparation.
2. Be sure the SFS Control Box is being powered by the supplied DC
power supply and is connected to the computer via the USB cable and
the correct USB port on back of the computer. Be sure the BNC
coaxial cable between the SFS black control box and the SFS body
(acoustic transducer) is connected.
3. Be sure the SFS power adapter is plugged into electrical power and
the small round DC plug from the power adapter is connected to the
black control box.
4. Start the SFS program at the computer.
5. At the SFS software window confirm that there are squiggly pulse
lines at the left end of the top graph that indicate the acoustic
transducer is powered and sending a pulse signal.
Be sure these pulse lines are

showing. If a straight green
line reaches across the top
graph that would indicate the
acoustic transducer is not
functioning correctly or is
disconnected.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After POWERING OFF, wait at least 30 sec. Before

switching on again.
3.8.6.3 Operational Check

The SFS-032 may be checked for functionality without any additional test
equipment. After assembling the SFS separator body, connecting all the
cables (USB cable from black control box to computer and coaxial cable
from black control box to SFS acoustic transducer), starting the SFS
software program at the computer and powering up the black control box
the top graph should indicate some squiggly lines on the left end as shown
below.
If the SFS vessel is empty the SPEED reading on computer window display
(just below the Coretest logo) will be zero as shown above.
The RED CIRCLE in the upper left corner indicates there is no measureable
interface in the SFS vessel. This is also indicated by the SPEED value
being zero. If the red circle were green and the SPEED box indicated a
value between 900 and 2050 it would indicate that an interface was being
measured and there would be some more squiggly lines to the right of the
ones shown above. When an interface is sensed and measured the red line
in the top graph window will mark the interface location and follow the initial
pulse return created by that interface. This second set of squiggly lines that
represent the interface in the SFS vessel would move up and remain above
the blue line. When liquid fills the bottom of the separator the blue line will
mark the location of the calibration target inside the measurement bore and
will remain at this location as long as liquid is in the bottom of the separator
body and there is nothing on the face of the acoustic transducer that might
interfere with good pulse creation.
If the top graph shows a straight green line all the way across that would
indicate that either 1) the coaxial cable between the control box and the
acoustic transducer is disconnected or bad, or 2) the acoustic transducer is
bad. (see below)
Above: The flat green line in the top graph indicates a problem, no acoustic
signal at all. SFS is not working due to bad cable, connection, acoustic
transducer or maybe the black control box is not functioning or powered on.
It is necessary to plug the DC power supply/adapter to local electricity and
connect the DC output plug into the black control box.
Above: The pulses at the left end of the top graph indicate the SFS
Pulser/Receiver control box and acoustic transducer may be working
properly. No other pulses showing at the right end indicates that there is
NO INTERFACE or fluid(s) in the separator, only air.
If the left end of the top graph appears strange it could be due to oil droplets
that have become stuck to the acoustic transducer. Tilting the SFS body
slightly can help you find out if there is oil coating the acoustic transducer.
Normally, the sound SPEED reading is unaffected by minor tilting of the
separator housing. If tilting the separator changes the SPEED reading at
the upper left of the software program screen, then it is most likely that oil
droplets have contaminated the front face of the transducer. The
contamination may possibly be removed by tilting and shaking the separator
(if you are lucky) but most likely the SFS will need to be drained, cleaned and
refilled with only water/brine in contact with the lower acoustic transducer.
When the SFS software is started the separator initially sets the relative
volumes to zero. Confirm that the relative volumes read zero.
3.8.7 Typical Flow Schematics For Core Flow Tests

3.8.7.1 Connections When the Fluids Will Be Brine and Oil
When the upcoming test will involve producing a mixture of Brine and Oil
into the SFS be sure to make the injection point the bottom port of the SFS.
This will allow oil to separate as droplets and float to the top part of the
separator. The oil droplets in the brine phase will not affect the oil level in
the upper portion of the SFS until it actually contacts the oil/water interface.
This will result in the most accurate measurement of the oil volume.
See illustration below:
3.8.7.2 Connections When the Fluids Will Be Gas and Liquid

When the upcoming test will involve producing a mixture of Gas and a
Liquid into the SFS be sure to make the injection point the TOP port of the
SFS. This will allow liquid to separate as droplets and drop to the lower part
of the separator. The liquid droplets entering the upper gas phase of the
SFS will not affect the liquid level in the lower portion of the SFS until it
actually contacts the liquid interface. This will result in the most accurate
measurement of the liquid volume.
See illustration below:
3.8.8 FILLING the Separator with Brine and Oil

NOTE: This can also be used for gas/liquid situations. Just replace oil with
gas and brine with liquid in the text below.
This procedure assumes that there is a brine filled pump and oil filled
accumulator (or pump) that is connected to the SFS separator body as shown
above. Both of these can be connected to the bottom injector port of the SFS-
032 separator. The side and top ports of the acoustic separator should be
connected to valves so they can be isolated or flow out of the system through
the BPR. This procedure will fill the lower half of the acoustic separator with
brine from a connected pump and then fill the top half with oil from accumulator
filled with oil and driven by the same brine pump.
1. Open the appropriate valves to create a flow path from the brine
filled pump to the bottom injector port of the separator and out the
top port of the separator to the BPR.
2. Set the pump safety pressure to 200 psi.
3. Set the pump in Paired Constant Rate Deliver mode
4. Set the pump flow rate to 25 cc/min
5. Zero the cumulative volume of the pump
6. Insure that the pump supply reservoir valve is OPEN.
7. Next you will start the water pump and monitor the SFS control
window at the computer to see when the water gas interface reaches
the measurement area inside the SFS body.
3.8.9 FILLING THE LOWER HALF WITH BRINE

1. Open the valve at the top separator port out to the BPR.
2. Start the pump at 25 cc/min.
3. Monitor the pump pressure to be sure it is not building up, if it is
building above 20 psi there is probably a valve closed that should be
open, check flow path and continue. After about 20 cc, start
monitoring the acoustic separator display screen for interface
movement. At first the display will be similar to the one below
indicating NO interface in the top graph.
This screen indicates NO INTERFACE or fluid(s) in the separator, only air.
4. When the interface indicates that it is near 2/3 to 3/4 of its travel (see
photo below), STOP the pump.
Filled 2/3s with water, air on top.
Notice in the top graph of the illustration above that the blue line remains at
the left end of the graph with a pulse that marks the calibration target
position inside the SFS body. The water/gas interface (red line) has now
moved to the right and is closer to the top of the SFS vessel. The top of the
measurement area in the SFS body is indicated by the white line at the far
right of the upper graph.
3.8.10 FILLING THE UPPER HALF WITH OIL

1. Close the valve from the brine pump to the bottom of the separator
and open the valve from the oil accumulator to the bottom of the
separator.
2. Start the pump at 10 cc/min. It is necessary to lower the flow rate to
no more than 10 cc/min to reduce the chance of oil droplets hitting
the SFS injection bore wall and clinging to the wall instead of floating
to the top oil/water interface. Faster flow rates will cause the
droplets to create an eddy current that in turn causes the droplets to
wobble as they flow upward instead of flowing up smoothly.
3. Monitor the pump pressure to be sure it is not building up (should not
rise above 25 psi for low viscosity oils). After about 5 cc, start
monitoring the acoustic separator display screen for interface
movement.
4. As the oil rises above the water in the separator the SFS program
display will appear to indicate that the water interface has become
smaller and is rising. The interface shape will not be normal. Finally,
when the oil displaces all the air from the top of the separator the
oil/water interface will become better defined near where the
water/air interface was originally before oil was pumped into the
separator.
5. Once the oil has moved up to the top of the SFS display, start
monitoring the outlet from the top port of the separator (or at the
BPR). When oil exits, allow about 10 or 20 cc to exit then STOP the
pump.
6. The separator is now filled with brine and oil. The illustration above
indicates that the SFS contains slightly more water than oil.
7. It is important to know the sequence of the upcoming test(s) so the
separator can be prefilled to enable it to be used throughout the
entire test procedure. For example: If you start with a brine
saturated core sample and want to flush the water out with oil, the
acoustic separator must be prepared to receive water and allow oil to
exit. That means the interface will be moving upward as water is
collected. If the interface starts too high, it will not be able to
measure all the collected brine from the core sample before
becoming full. Therefore it would be best to start with the interface
near the lower part of the separator.
3.8.11 TO LOWER THE OIL/WATER INTERFACE

1. Oil must be injected and water must be displaced from the acoustic
separator.
2. Set the valves so oil can be injected into the bottom injector port of
the separator and water can exit the LOWER SIDE port of the
separator.
3. Zero the cumulative volume at the pump.
4. Zero the Relative volume at the separator.
5. Start the pump at no more than 10 cc/min.
6. Monitor the interface at the middle of the SFS screen as it goes
down.
7. When the interface is near the location desired for the upcoming
test, STOP the pump and allow the interface to stabilize. It may be
necessary to inject a little more after the interface stabilizes.
8. The interface should stabilize near the bottom of the SFS scale, but
above the calibration ring (blue line). If the interface disappears or
becomes distorted on the SFS screen, STOP the pump and move
the interface back up by injecting brine into the bottom of the
separator and releasing oil out the top.
3.8.12 Checking for Changes in the Hysteresis Effect

In time, the Molykote or surfactant treatment of the bores of the separator
will be washed away. A change in the amount of hysteresis will thus affect
the measurements. To check the extent of hysteresis, proceed as follows:
With the SFS-032 system powered up in a "no error situation" and filled with
the desired fluids for the upcoming test (an interface is showing on the
computer screen), flow a known volume of fluid into the top of the SFS and
allow an equal volume of the heavier fluid inside the SFS body to drain in
order to start the meniscus surface moving DOWN and insure full curvature
of the interface in downward moving orientation.
Either document the SFS STABLE absolute volume or Zero the Relative
volume at this point.
Pump the same volume of heavier fluid into the bottom of the separator and
document the pumped and SFS measured volumes.
Any difference in volume reading when completed gives the size of the
hysteresis.
The change is caused by the reversal of the meniscus.
The checking intervals depend upon intensity of use, and will be determined
through experience.
3.8.13 Test for Linearity

To verify separator linearity and accuracy it is recommended to fill the
separator with water then inject oil and bring the oil/water interface down to
a starting point at the top of the bores. Allow the interface to become stable
before proceeding.
1. Use a pump and backpressure regulator in the system, raise the internal
pressure of the separator to at least 500 psig and allow the interface to
become stable.
2. Zero the relative volume of the separator until it is registering very close to
zero for a relative volume.
3. Start data logging at about once per 30 seconds.
4. Using a precision pump such as Quizix, connected to the top port of the
SFS, inject 1 cc and stop the pump. (be sure to document the exact
volume that was pumped by the pump) It is possible to program the
Quizix PumpWorks software to inject 1 cc and stop.
5. Once the interface has become stable, repeat the 1 cc injection followed
by stable reading at the separator.
6. Keep injecting 1 cc at a time and recording the pumped volume versus the
separator volume. There will be a small difference each time so it will be
necessary to perform this measurement for at least 50 to 100 cc.
7. Create a graph of the pumped volume versus the separator volume. The
result should be a slightly sinusoidal 1 to 1 relationship. The sinusoidal
shapes are due to the droplet at the injector clinging to the last drop or
allowing it to disconnect from the injector tip and be measured by the
separator. The drop size is usually about 0.025 cc in size and the
sinusoidal wave around the 1 to 1 relationship should be about the size of
the droplets.
3.8.14 DESCRIPTION OF SOFTWARE

3.8.14.1 Computer Communication Load USB Driver
The SFS/TPS Pulser / Receiver Control Module must be connected to a
Windows based computer using a standard USB cable. The very first time the
unit is plugged into the computer a communication driver must be installed on
the computer in order to communicate with SFS. This USB driver is supplied
with any Coretest Systems, Inc. flow system and will already be installed on the
computer.
IF THE SFS/TPS WILL BE USED WITH USER SUPPLIED SOFTWARE OR

COMPUTERS THIS USB COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER WILL HAVE TO BE
INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE USE OF THE SFS/TPS SOFWARE. The file is
shipped on CD with the SFS/TPS or can be obtained by contacting Coretest
customer service.
Upon loading the USB communication driver the SFS or TPS control program
can be installed on the computer. Once the program is loaded on the computer
it can be started by double clicking on the icon at the Desktop screen.
If the SFS or TPS is used in conjunction with any other program that will
communicate with the SFS or TPS software (for instance a flow system
program from Coretest Systems, Inc.) be sure to start the SFS or TPS control
program FIRST, before any other program that will be communicating with the
SFS / TPS software.
SFS-032 measurements are carried out under the control of the system
computer. The computer normally uses a Coretest Systems, Inc. software
program to acquire the amplified acoustic signals from the Electronics Control
Box and automatically calculate and report any volume change.
Example user interface screen.
Clear graph and

Separator parameter selector
Volume
Data and
Sound
velocity
(SPEED) Pulse echo plot
in Heavy Realtime location of interface
fluid
Volume vs.
Interface Time plot
active
(green)
Zero Zoomed in Logging start File Zoomed in

relative window for and single log browse window
volume Cal Target button button showing
button reflection interface
reflection
Once the interface signal is acquired, the relative volumes are calculated by
the SFS/TPS software program, and the results displayed via the SFS/TPS
software program on the computer screen. (see example above)
Pulse echo plot: (top graph) shows the reflected signal back in counts (y-
axis) and time from pulse (channel number). The first large reflected pulse
indicated by the blue line is the calibration target which is used to
determine the sound velocity and the second red line is the fluid-fluid
interface. Additional reflections are secondary reflections off the interface
or target and are ignored.
Sound velocity (SPEED): the calculated velocity of the Heavy fluid in the
separator using the time to reflection along with the distance to the
calibration target. Shown in the lower left corner.
Light phase relative and absolute volume are shown at the top left corner
Bar graph (on left) showing both phase absolute volumes with heavy
phase shown at the bottom in brown and light phase shown at the top in
light blue. The y-axis numbers are the total volume of the separator
including areas on top and bottom that are not measurable using the
acoustic signal.
Both phase relative and absolute volumes are shown at the top and
bottom of the bar graph on the left side of the window.
Zero relative volume: this button zeros the relative values of each phase
and can be clicked at anytime. Normally this would be used to set the
relative volume to zero just before starting a test procedure.
Interface active indicator: indicates that there is a measurable interface in
the SFS when green. This is also used to indicate when the SFS software
is communicating with the electronics control box. Red indicates that
either there is no measurable interface in the SFS body or there is a
problem with the system.
Bottom Left Zoomed in region (Calibration Target): this shows the target
region pulse reflection in more detail. This may be used to help
troubleshoot problems if the target reflection pulse is not very high which
might indicate a weak acoustic transducer or pulser.
Bottom Middle Volume time plot: one of the volume parameters (abs or
relative volume) can be plotted vs time on this plot. The clear button resets
the plot
Bottom Right Zoomed in region (Interface): this shows the fluid interface
region pulse reflection in more detail.
Data logging: the software has a built in data logging function that can be
used to log acquired data into a file name specified in the front screen
browse button. File interval is settable in the configuration window. A
single reading can be logged by pushing the log now button. The slide
switch to the left of this box will turn on or off continuous logging.
3.8.14.2 Configuration screen

(some items are not changeable and not covered in this description)
Distance to Reference target: this is the distance to the target (should

not be changed unless required)
Travel time correction is the travel time in micro-seconds for the pulse
to go through the PEEK plastic body until it reaches the heavy liquid.
This value is set at the factory and should not be changed.
Reference to Interface spacing: this is the region above the Calibration
Target and the first point at which the software will look for a fluid
Interface pulse. The reason for this distance is due to the significant
ring down in the area below the fluid interface.
Separator total volume (not shown on Configuration screen): the total
internal volume of the separator (~470 cc
Tube diameter: in a typical SFS both of the the tube diameters are
2.54 cm.
Tube height: maximum measureable height inside the SFS vessel that
can be monitored. This value will be below the top of the vessel by a
significant amount because there is a large reflection back from the top
of the cell that will interfere with any interface reflections (approx 45
cm)
Log type: the user can select either Volume data or Reflected Signal.
Normally Volume is selected.
Log interval: the log interval used in the front screen data logging
Light fluid name as shown on the front screen. If desired the user can
change this to the actual fluid name such as Oil or Gas that will be in
the top of the SFS separator body during the upcoming test.
Heavy fluid name as shown on the front screen. If desired the user
can change this to the actual fluid name such as Brine or Oil that will
be in the bottom of the SFS separator body during the upcoming test.
Pulser settings:
Pulse voltage: this is the voltage used to ping the acoustic piezo crystal
to generate the acoustic signal: default is 300 volts
Sampling rate: typically set to 12.5 Mhz can be set to 6.12 or 25 Mhz to
decrease or increase the time resolution.
LPF and HPF : high and low pass filters(software)
Waveform parameters:
Gain: this entry affects the amplification of the acoustic signal. Larger
gains are required for interfaces that will result in a smaller reflected
pulse such as an oil-brine interface. Typical setting is from 8 to 24
Average: can be used to improve signal stability. Typically set to 20 or
30
3.8.14.3 Using the Acoustic Separator Software with Other Programs
Coretest SFS/TPS software communicates with displays and logs the acoustic
separator data. It can also provide this information to other programs (user
supplied or CSI supplied) running on the same computer. If another computer
is used the USB Communication driver will have to be installed on that
computer. A summary of the operational software is included below.
3.8.14.4 Separator Data Communication Interface

Separator data can be requested and read programmatically from a 3rd party
program. Coretests SFS/TPS software must be running in order to obtain the
separator data. Inter-process communication with Coretest software is
accomplished by using the named pipe mechanism.
Information about using named pipes is available here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windows/desktop/aa365598%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
Here is an example of a named pipe client:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windows/desktop/aa365592%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
The Separator named pipe address is

\\.\pipe\sfs
(or a character string "\\\\.\\pipe\\sfs")
The following two commands are currently supported:

1) Request Volume Data
Command: volume IDMAP
where IDMAP is the bitmap of separator IDs (bit 1 is separator-1, bit 2 is
separator-2)
IDMAP parameter is optional in the case of 2-phase separator.
For example, send

volume 1 or just volume to read data from a 2-phase SFS separator,
or
volume 3 to request 3-phase volumes from a 3-phase separator.
Reply is a comma separated string:
2-phase data:
Error,Speed,VH_abs,VH_rel,VL_abs,VL_rel
3-phase data:
S1_Error,S1_Speed,S1_VH_abs,S1_VH_Rel,S2_Error,S2_VL_abs,S2_VL_Rel,VM_abs
,VM_rel
where
Error error code as follows:
0 - no error and data is valid
1 - communication error
2 - reference cannot be detected
3 - interface cannot be detected
4 - unable to calculate volume data
5 - calibration is in progress
Speed speed of sound in m/sec
VH_abs/rel absolute/Relative volume of the heavy phase (brine) in cc
VL_rel/abs absolute/Relative volume of the heavy phase (oil) in cc
VM_rel/abs absolute/Relative volume of the heavy phase (oil) in cc
S1_ / S2_ separator 1 or 2 data prefix
Reset Relative Volumes

Command: reset IDMAP
where IDMAP has the same meaning as in the Request Volume Data command
Reply: there is no reply
3.8.15 MAINTAINENCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

3.8.15.1 MECHANICAL DISMANTLING AND REASSEMBLY
IMPORTANT: BE SURE ALL FLUIDS ARE DRAINED OUT THE BOTTOM
PORT WITH THE INJECTOR TUBE REMOVED BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO
DISASSEMBLE THE SEPARATOR BODY.
Loosen the eight cap screws that bolt each end-cap against the endplug and
hold it against the pressure vessel. Carefully unscrew and remove the
separator end caps.
Upon removing the top cap the top sealplug can be removed by picking it
upwards.
Upon removing the bottom cap, the bottom seal plug is held in place by two
socket head capscrews. CAREFULLY hold the bottom seal plug while
removing the socket head capscrews as the sealplug will drop off once the
screws are removed. The seal plug is quite heavy.
The reference target may be removed from the bottom reference bore for
cleaning. However, extreme care must be taken when handling the reference
target. The target must not be deformed due to applying too much force
when installing or removing the reference target assembly.
Screws that
hold the Lower
Seal Plug to the
Body for initial
assembly go
through these
holes.
Clean the separator vessel, O-ring grooves, and all sealing surfaces. It is always a
good idea to replace the sealing O-rings every time the vessel is taken apart. Spare
O-rings have been supplied with the unit. The O-rings required are as follows:
Table 3 Required O-rings
Size Type Function

#119 Viton 1- Acoustic Transducer Seal
#228 Viton 2- Vessel, End-cap Seal, 2 total
Lower
Upper Cap Seal Plug
Calibration
Upper Seal Plug Acoustic
Target ring Spacer Tube
Transducer
To reassemble the separator, first insert the reference target ring into the
larger diameter bore and follow it with the spacer tube (smooth end toward
the target ring). With the spacer tube fully inserted rotate the Spacer Tube
such that the jagged end creates an open channel at the cross port machined
in the bottom of the body between the bores. Align the bottom seal plug so
that the acoustic transducer is aligned with the bore that contains the
reference target. Observe the radial orientation, and match the two alignment
pins with their mating holes. Replace the two small diameter socket head cap
screws to hold the bottom seal plug in place while screwing the cap on. Place
the tightening ring/shim over the seal plug and slide it down on the shoulder
of the seal plug. Place the endcap over the seal plug with the tightening ring
in place and screw the cap down until hand tight. Once the cap is tight,
loosen it just enough to align the hole in the cap with the port in the bottom
side of the separator body. See illustration below:
Begin tightening the cap bolts in a crossing-pattern using an equal 7 pound

torque on each bolt as you crisscross around the cap.
3.8.16 Acoustic transducer

The acoustic transducer should not require any maintenance other than
changing the o-ring after a high temperature (above 120C) test was performed
and the o-ring was subjected to this temperature for more than 2 hours. OR if it
has been at elevated temperature and pressure for more than 8 hours.
NOTE: Although replacing the o-ring on the acoustic transducer assembly does
require removing the bottom BNC connector from the body so the acoustic
transducer can be pushed out of its cavity, there should be sufficient wire to
allow the transducer to be pushed out and replace the o-ring then replace the
transducer assembly back into the opening. It should not be necessary to cut
any wires in order to change the 2-119 O-ring on the acoustic transducer
assembly.
To change the o-ring, first remove the SFS lower seal plug from the body and
place it on a bench top. Remove the screws that hold the BNC connector to
the seal plug and carefully pull the connector away from the seal plug and
determine the available length of the small wires to the BNC connector. You
will need at least 1 to 2 inches of free wire movement. If the wires are too short
they will to be unsoldered from the BNC connector and it is recommended to
add wire with heat shrink insulation at the solder junctions so the acoustic
transducer can be pushed out without straining the wires.
Next, take a small rod or hex key wrench (about to 1/8 inch in diameter) and
insert it into the seal plug hole where the BNC connector was mounted.
Alternate around the circumference of the hole pushing up against the SIDES
OF THE acoustic transducer plastic body being careful not to damage the wires
where they come through the middle of the plastic plug. Push the acoustic
transducer assembly out the other end of seal plug. Be careful to control how
far you push the transducer out of the hole or the small wires may break when
the BNC connector hits the opening of the hole.
If the small wires between the BNC connector and the acoustic transducer
assembly are too short or have been damaged and require repair be sure to
use high temperature solder at the electrical connections on the BNC
connector. If the wire(s) that connect directly to the acoustic crystal have come
loose from the acoustic crystal, the acoustic transducer assembly will have to
be replaced.
3.9 Gas Injection System

The Gas Injection System enables measurement of gas permeability and
gas/liquid relative permeability (if system is configured correctly) on a core
sample. Relative permeability requires an effluent separation and volume
measurement device such as the SFS-032 (acoustic separator) or an
electronic weighing balance with sealed container that are not included in the
Gas Injection System unless specifically ordered.
This CFS system normally incorporates an acoustic separator to measure the

produced liquid volume from the core while at pressure. See the SFS-32
Sonic Fluid Separator section for more information about this component.
Also included with this system is an effluent gas/liquid separation and
totalized gas flow measurement system that will be discussed later in this
section.
This Gas Injection system enables the operator to set a constant upstream
gas flow rate (or pressure) to flow through the core sample. The pressure
control panel is located on the end of the frame above the power entry panel.
Maximum gas pressure inlet is 3000 psig. Gas inlet connection is shown in
image above.
Upstream Gas Injection Control Panel.
Downstream Effluent Gas Measurement System labeled. Optional Fraction

Collector (may not be in your system) shown in photo above.
3.9.1 Upstream Injection Plumbing Schematic
This system can inject gas at constant rate or constant pressure.
3.9.2 Gas Injection Operation

To use the Gas Injection system the user must be familiar with two
hardware sections and the computer controller program. The hardware
sections are comprised of an upstream Injection system and a
downstream Effluent Measurement system.
1. First load a core sample into the coreholder and apply confining
pressure.
2. Insure that the upstream gas injection flow controller (on software main
screen) is set to zero flowrate.
Upstream
Gas Flow
Controller
Constant
Flowrate
Setpoint
3. Locate the Gas Injection Control Panel at the right end of the oven
frame, use the manually operated Gas Source Selector valve(s) to
select the high range pressure regulator.
NOTE: If using the computer controlled Mass Flowrate Controller the inlet
gas pressure from the manual regulators must be a minimum of 950 psig
for the controller to operate correctly. This will require using the High
Pressure regulator.
4. Using the High manual gas pressure regulator adjust the gas pressure
being delivered to the flow controller to a minimum of 950 psi. If the
expected upstream pressure will be greater than 950 psi, use the high
range regulator and set the pressure to about 200 psi above the
expected flowing pressure.
Gas Flow
Controller
Flowrate
Setpoint
5. At the computer Main Screen click on the Gas Flow box at the lower
left. Set the desired flow rate in cc/min.
6. Upon clicking OK the mass flow controller will start allowing gas to flow
at the set rate. Pressure in the gas injection system will begin to rise
slowly. Be patient.
7. At the computer open the necessary computer controlled valves to
create a flow path from (but not including) AV21 through the core and
out the back pressure regulator.
8. When Pgas reads equal to or slightly greater than Pup, open AV21.
Pressure in the system will fluctuate until flow through the core
stabilizes.
NOTE: Stable flow conditions may take some time depending on the final
pressure and flow rate. Either be patient or use the Mass Flowrate
Controller BYPASS valve located in the Injection control panel to raise the
gas flow pressure more rapidly until the system pressure is close to the
conditions that are desired for final flow condition then close the Bypass
valve.
9. When the flow rate and differential pressure across the core stabilize
permeability to gas may be calculated.
NOTE: Relative permeability is performed in much the same fashion

except the effluent separation and measurement devices and the effluent
gas totalizer must be zeroed and ready to accept and measure volumes.
NOTE: Constant pressure flow tests can be performed by opening the

manually operated Flow Meter Bypass valve on the side of the Gas
Injection control panel. All pressure adjustments must be made using the
manually operated pressure regulators. The software program does not
control the gas injection pressure in any way. It is recommended to use a
constant Flow Rate test so the computer can operate the flow rate
controller offering better control.
3.9.3 Downstream Effluent Measurement System

After the fluids exit the core on the downstream end they can either travel
to the acoustic separator and then out of the high pressure system through
the DBPR or they can bypass the acoustic separator and flow directly to
the DBPR and out of the high pressure system.
Either way the plastic tubing that carries the fluids out of the DBPR MUST
be directed into the sealed glass flask through the rubber stopper in the
top opening of the flask. It is best if the tubing end is extended down into
the glass flask past the side exit port.
Optional Fraction collector also shown but may not be in your system.
As liquid and gas enter the glass flask the liquid will fall out and the gas will
pass through the flask through a dryer and through a gas flow rate sensor.
The Effluent Gas Flow Rate and Totalizer control box will constantly
measure the flow rate and update the cumulative totalized volume which
will be saved to the computer controller hard disk.
3.10 Oven
3.10.1 Raising the Oven Temperature
1) Upon completely filling and pressurizing the confining and pore

system, checking for leaks, and wiping any drops that may have been left
by a leak, the operator should roll the oven over the cabinet components
and close the oven door. Upon doing so these steps should be followed.
2) Make certain the power is connected and turn the oven on with the
power switch.
IMPORTANT NOTE: OPEN THE MANUAL ACCUMULATOR AND BPR

ISOLATE VALVES AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER CONTROLLED
VALVES TO CREATE A FLOW PATH FROM THE PUMP THROUGH
THE SYSTEM. BE SURE THE UP AND DOWNSTREAM PORE
SYSTEM ARE OPEN TO THE BPR.
3) Push the power switch to the ON position. The main temperature

controller should be illuminated. The top display is the Process
Temperature and the bottom display is the Set Point.
To change Set Point, push the Down Arrow once and then use the Up
and Down Arrow to change the Setpoint.
CAUTION: If the Up Arrow is pushed first, it will start a program and will
not allow you to change the Setpoint. To return to NORMAL DISPLAY,
push the Up Arrow again.
Set the temperature on the oven temperature controller to the

temperature to be used in the upcoming test (no higher than 150o C).
Use the supplied instruction booklet that came with the oven for more
information.
4) Allow the temperature in the oven to rise to the set condition while
continuously monitoring the confining pressure and pore pressure of the
system.
5) Monitor the temperature inside the coreholder on the computer

screen. When the coreholder temperature reaches the preset oven
temperature (within 5-10 degrees) wait an additional hour or more before
going to the next step.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As the oven heats up the liquid and gas in the system
will expand. This expanded volume MUST BE ABLE TO EXIT the pore
system through the BPR OR AN OVERPRESSURE CONDITION COULD
OCCUR. Confining fluid that expands will automatically return to the
confining system pump (or regulator) and reservoir if necessary.
3.10.2 Reducing the Oven Temperature

1. After the test procedure, at the appropriate time the operator should
adjust the temperature of the oven to approximately room
temperature and open the doors to cool down the components inside
the oven.
2. Allow the components to cool to room temperature or at least to a
temperature that will not cause any burns when touched.
3. Upon reaching a cooled state the oven temperature controller can be
switched off and the roll on oven can be removed from the cabinet.
4 MISC. SCHEMATICS, DRAWINGS, ETC.
4.1 Flow Schematic
4.2 Electrical Schematics

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USERS MANUAL

(Shown with optional with optional Gas Injection and Totalizer.

Core Flood System

1 Warranty, Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability..................................1-1

3.6.1.2.1 Confining Pressure System Modes Of Operation ........................................................3-71

4 Misc. Schematics, Drawings, Etc. ....................................................4-1

1 WARRANTY, DISCLAIMERS, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

DISCLAIMER OF OTHER WARRANTIES:

SHALL CORETEST SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL,

No portion of the information presented in this manual may be reproduced

SOFTWARE AND COMPUTER DISCLAIMER

The information in this manual is confidential. No portion of the information

2.1 *Theory of Operation

The pressure control system including pump, valves, coreholder, and

2.2 *Location of Components in System

Oven with Coreholder in Horizontal (red tags) setup position.

Oven side showing Axial Pressure Taps on Coreholder

Pressure Measurement Cabinet.

Miscellaneous Electronics Cabinet

2.3 *Flow Schematic

2.4 Overview of the Computer Data Acquisition System

The A/D (Analog-to-Digital) electronic plug-in board is used to measure the

The D/A (Digital-to-Analog) control board sends a programmable analog

The Quizix Pump Controller is on COM1 and communicates with the

2.5 *Utility and Floor Space Requirements

Oven assembly 220 VAC 50 or 60 Hz, 30 A (1 cord from oven)

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

Suggested Floor Space: 15 x 15 feet (4.6 x 4.6 meters)

2.6 Uncrating and Inspection

3.1 Computer Data Acquisition and Control System

3.1.2 Starting the Quizix and Coretest Software

3.1.3 *Description of the Main Software Screen

Top Pull-Down Menus (File, AutoRun, Config, Help)

Sample (upper right of screen)

Pup: Displays the current upstream pressure in the system, psia.

Pdown: Displays the current downstream pressure in the system, psia.

Toven: Displays the current temperature inside the oven.

Set Pressure Tap State (just below the Cycle button):

3.1.4 *Entering Sample Information

Window may differ from your version.

3.1.5 Config Pull-Down Menu

Screen above may differ from your version.

When an alarm condition is ENABLED and becomes triggered a message window

Several parameters can have alarm conditions enabled:

Pconf = Confining Pressure

Pback = BPR Pressure

Pup = Upstream Pressure

Pdown = Downstream Pressure

Toven = Air Bath Temperature

Tcore = Core Temperature

3.1.5.3 *Logging (Data)

The file format can be set to ASCII or Microsoft Excel (XLS).

Stabilization Check Interval: As mentioned above, this is only used in the

The operator can choose from a pull-down list of commands

3.1.7 *System I/O Map

0 Output AV0 82 50 Pump

11 Output AV11 87 50 To DBPR

PCI-DAS 6034/35 Board DIO T/B GND

PCI-DAS 6034/35 Board Analog input

PCI-DDA02/16 Board Analog Output

3.2 Pore Pressure Measurement System

3.2.1 Standard System WITH Axial Pressure Taps(2)

Std. Upstream & Downstream Quartzdyne.