Bios Flow Measurement Blog

500 slm DryCal® Technology Piston Prover Tested at NIST

Harvey Padden

President

At Bios, we’re constantly working to make high quality primary gas flow measurements faster, simpler and more precise. We’ve been pretty successful, as evidenced by our 0.15% Met Lab Series of high-speed piston provers. Now, we are developing a 0.15% DryCal Technology based prover for flows up to 500 slm.

As a cooperative research experiment, we took a prototype to NIST in order to test its linearity against their sonic nozzle flow standards. Taking a large number of readings at six flows from 10 slm to 500 slm, we established that our linearity agrees with NIST to about ± 0.05%. We did a second run and found that we could reproduce our results to better than ± 0.05% as well.

Since linearity was the largest variable in our overall accuracy, we’re now confident in our plans to extend the Met Lab Series to 500 slm. Please let us know if you want us to keep you informed of our progress and send you our technical papers when they are presented.

NEW Indestructible EPA flow transfer standard

Bradley Padden

Managing Director

Bios introduces drop-in replacement for performing ambient monitor flow calibrations using an orifice type flow transfer standard.

The Bios Definer™ 110 allows you to utilize the built in firmware for performing field flow audits for many Thermo® samplers and monitors including the Partisol® 2000, 2000-FRM, 2000-Audit, 2025, Dichotomous-2025 Samplers, and TEOM® Series 1400a, Series 8400N and 8400S monitors.

The Definer 110 (pictured above) is the latest application-specific product from Bios, delivering the ambient monitoring community an alternative to the fragile, glass-style orifice calibrators commonly used in performing audits of PM2.5, PM10 and TEOM air samplers.

                                            

Available in two flow ranges, the new Definer 110 features an unbreakable precision orifice manufactured with a zero coefficient expansion alloy – which means it can be used at any temperature and in any environment without affecting its accuracy. The Definer 110 is housed in an extremely durable, high-impact plastic body, complete with an integrated wind screen to reduce wind and eddy effects and enable it to be confidently used even in the most adverse field conditions. It’s also small and lightweight, so it’s easy to grab and go making it at home in field, where rough handling is the norm.  And, because it features Viton® seals throughout, your Definer 110 won’t degrade over time and exposure to common airborne pollutants.

Best of all, the Definer 110 is designed to be calibrated by the Bios Met Lab Series of high-precision primary standards. Each orifice is individually-calibrated at seven set points across its broad range, for the highest accuracy m and b constants.

As with all Bios products, Definer 110 calibrations are performed in our NVLAP-accredited ISO 17025, ANSI Z-540, NIST Handbook 150 gas flow calibration laboratory. No other EPA or environmental protection gas flow calibration laboratory can match our Scope of Accreditation.  Bios is also happy to perform calibrations and refurbishment services on other manufacturer's flow transfer standards so please ask us about our calibration offerings.  The new Definer 110 is a perfect choice when adding new orifice based flow transfer standards to your organization's ambient monitoring equipment inventory.

Bios Definer 220 Makes The Perfect EPA Check Standard

Bradley Padden

Managing Director

New for 2007, the Bios Definer™ 220 has already made waves in the Environmental Protection marketplace.

As Bios technology evolves, our customers are taking advantage of our new approach to industry- and application-specific products, made possible by the adaptability of both our designs and our flexible, Proven DryCal® Technology. Our valued EPA customers were already using Bios products to calibrate a wide variety of ambient monitoring equipment – and now, our exciting new Definer 220 provides environmental professionals with the latest, most advanced technology in portable primary check standards.

The Definer 220 is lightweight with a shock-mounted interior, making it incredibly durable for rugged field use; at the same time, it maintains a high degree of measurement accuracy and linearity due to its positive displacement piston prover design and dimensionally-stable materials. Specific examples of how Bios products featuring Proven DryCal Technology can be used in the Environmental Protection marketplace may be found on our website.

Bios 500 sLpm Piston Prover Closer To Reality

Bradley Padden

Managing Director

Initial 500 sLpm primary standard testing a success!

Many Bios customers are interested in calibrating at higher flow rates than our current products allow.

To address this need, Bios has been working on an experimental design for a 500 sLpm positive displacement primary standard. Initial testing of this high-speed piston prover looks very promising.

Comparisons were made using a 5 cubic feet bell prover at an independent thrid-party laboratory under the supervision of their lab chief. Based on Proven DryCal® Technology, the prototype  500 sLpm prover had better repeatability than the bell prover used in the comparison, is approximately ten times faster, and considerably smaller in size and footprint.  These benefits should prove to be valuable attributes in the process measurement and calibration laboratory environment.  We will add additional posts on this exciting new product as information becomes available.