NABL 106 -Specific Criteria for Fluid Flow Testing Laboratories.pdf

NABL 106

NABL

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR TESTING AND CALIBRATION LABORATORIES

SPECIFIC CRITERIA for

FLUID FLOW TESTING LABORATORIES

ISSUE NO : 02 ISSUE DATE: 28.03.2008

AMENDMENT NO : 00 AMENDMENT DATE: --

AMENDMENT SHEET Sl

Page No.

Claus e No.

Date of Amendment

Amendment made

Reasons

Signature QM

Signature Director

1

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3

4

5

6

7

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9

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National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories Doc. No: NABL 106 Issue No: 02

Specific Criteria for Fluid Flow Testing Laboratories Issue Date: 28.03.2008 Amend No: 00 Amend Date: --

Page No: i

Contents S.NO.

SECTION

PAGE NO.

Amendment Sheet

i

Contents

ii

1.

Introduction

1

2.

Personnel and Training

2

3.

Sampling Procedure

4

4.

Infrastructural Requirements

5

5.

List of Tests of Fluid Flow

8



Page No: ii

1

Introduction

Laboratory Accreditation activities are administered under the direction of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and involving Technical Committees and Accreditation Committees as recommending bodies. NABL assessment system is based on ISO/IEC 17011 and APLAC/ ILAC requirements. This document on “Specific Criteria for Fluid Flow Testing Laboratories” is one of a series of supplementary booklets of the document ISO/ IEC 17025: 2005 “General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories”. Fluid Flow is one of the following fields in which NABL currently gives accreditation. Fields of Testing •

Biological

•

Chemical

•

Electrical

•

Electronics

•

Fluid Flow

•

Mechanical

•

Non-Destructive

•

Optical and Photometry

•

Radiological

•

Thermal

•

Forensic

The information contained in this document must be read alongwith the document ISO/ IEC 17025: 2005.



Page No: 1/ 9

2

Personnel and Training

The officer-in-charge of a laboratory and section heads in larger laboratories must have sound knowledge of the principles of the testing in the discipline, have the analytical acumen to evaluate the test results and be able to provide adequate supervision. 2.1

The fluid flow testing laboratory shall be headed by a person preferably having a post graduate degree in physics or equivalent or Bachelor degree in mechanical engineering / technology or equivalent with adequate experience in the relevant area especially in the analysis of testing of relevant products. The minimum qualification for the technical staff in a fluid flow testing laboratory shall be Graduate in Science with physics as one of the subjects or Diploma in mechanical engineering / technology or equivalent or specialization in relevant fields of the subject. The staff shall have sufficient training and exposure in analysis and testing of appropriate products. The laboratory technicians or equivalent shall have higher secondary certificate in science / ITI and at least one year experience or training in a relevant laboratory.

2.2

The minimum requirement for an Authorized Signatory shall be a Graduate in Science with physics as one of the subjects / Diploma in mechanical engineering / technology or equivalent from a recognized university with at least 5 years experience in relevant field, or Post-graduate in physics / specialization in relevant subject or Degree in mechanical engineering / technology or equivalent from a recognized university with at least 2 years experience in relevant field Note: The Assessment team may however recommend Authorized Signatory who does not meet the above specified minimum experience requirement with specific recommendations to NABL, after adjudging the competence of the Authorized Signatory during on-site assessment.



Page No: 2/ 9

2.3

All laboratories must have provision of control and supervision of laboratory operations during any absences of the designated office-in-charge or section heads. If this condition could not be met, accreditation be void/ effectively during such periods of absence.

2.4

There shall be a system for imparting training to laboratory technical staff at various level and wherever required before assigning any testing work. Staff may be asked to demonstrate techniques during assessment or to undertake longer test before or after assessment.



Page No: 3/ 9

3

Sampling Procedure

3.1

Sampling procedures and preparations of test samples for fluid flow testing shall be done as per the national/ international procedures laid down by BIS and/ or ISO norms.

3.2

The sampling procedures to be adopted shall be considered in conjunction with the testing involved as per norms.



Page No: 4/ 9

4

Infrastructural Requirements

4.1

Facilities for the normal operations in the test laboratories like compressed air supply, water supply, oil storage, etc. should be of adequate capacity/ specifications available.

4.2

Electrical Power Supply Where the range and accuracy of testing activity demands specific quality and capacity requirements in the installed or procurable power supply (for example in terms of frequency consistency, voltage, fluctuation tolerance, power capacity, continuous uninterrupted availability of power etc.). NABL may verify these requirements specially through documentary evidence or otherwise for adequacy and compliance.

4.3

Environmental Requirements The following details give broad guidelines relating to important factors which must be taken into account when the environmental / testing conditions of a laboratory are considered: -

In all cases, it is imperative that the flow conditions at the test section be checked to ensure that the flow is sufficiently steady, the velocity distribution across the test cross-section is symmetrical and the flow is free from swirl (e.g. by pitot traverse measurements).

-

Working fluid must be clean and the degree of cleanliness will be determined by the type of flow meters being calibrated e.g. in turbine type flow meters the bearings can be affected, it needs greater fluid cleanliness compared to the ventury tubes. The working liquid must be of uniform composition and temperature. The liquid temperature stability criteria must be met for the test media. In case the variation is more than ± 1 deg C/hour, results shall be corrected appropriately.

-

Density and viscosity (wherever felt necessary by laboratory) of the fluid must be measured at the temperature at which the testing is performed and recorded. It is a common practice to check these variables at a recognized reference temperature in addition to the working temperature. Reference temperature of 25 deg C may be used for this purpose. For convenience, the measure of viscosity may be taken as kinematic viscosity rather than absolute viscosity.



Page No: 5/ 9

-

Accurate measurement of density is essential, in case testing is based on volumetric ground. Measurement of density in liquids shall be made by equipments like hydrometer, density ball or density bottle.

-

Fluid flow control test circuit must be such that: a)

Operation of controlling device has no effect on flow meter testing.

b)

Any drop in pressure at the flow meter does not cause dissolved gases to come out of solution/ cavitation to occur.

c)

The flow meter and complete system continue to run full under all conditions with no stagnant volumes in the circuit.

The present assessment does not include approval of safety precautions in the laboratory against fire risk from inflammable liquids. However, the laboratory must convince that clearance has been obtained from appropriate authorities such as local fire-brigade etc. for all necessary safety precautions in the laboratory. -

The laboratory must be adequately kept clean and well maintained. It should be adequately ventilated to prevent accumulation of flammable vapours.

4.4

Specific Auxiliary Facilities In cases where the test specimens or test models are prepared/ manufactured by the laboratory concerned, NABL will verify whether the facilities available meet such requirements adequately and also comply with written procedures. (These may involve model manufacturing / fabrication shops, tool room facilities, etc.).

4.5

Materials Handling Equipment Appropriate/ adequate material handling facilities like pallets, forklifts, cranes, etc., must be available from the point of view of safety, capacity and suitability for handling. This will be reviewed by NABL for range, type of testing and the magnitude of risks involved.

4.6

Site Testing Specific guidelines must be documented regarding the control of environmental requirements like power supply, calibration facilities or equipment checking facilities, material handling devices like cranes, lifts, etc. if testing is done at sites other than the laboratory premises.



Page No: 6/ 9

If there is any problem envisaged like the absence of authorized signatory at the test sites the laid down procedures ensuring compliance to such procedures must be specially addressed by the laboratory. NABL will review such requirements for adequacy and compliance on case-to-case basis. 4.7

Testing Procedures Observations of flow meter reading and corresponding testing measurements should be taken at same time and adequate means must be available for this. A preliminary series of checks should be made to ensure that the flow meter used for testing is functioning properly before testing is commenced. The order of sequence of test points must not introduce a bias into the test curve. This can be avoided by taking suitable number of observations in ascending followed by descending sequences and finally checking a few points scattered over the flow range.

4.8

Laboratory Records/ Test Reports Full reports of each test must be kept, inclusive of all readings taken directly from measuring equipment, computed results and other analytical data. -

A record system/ test report preparation should, at least cover the information/ requirements as given in ISO/ IEC 17025: 2005.

-

Each test report will carry a statement of estimated uncertainty (Ref.: NABL 141 ‘Guidelines for Estimation and Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement’. ISO: 5168 may also be referred.



Page No: 7/ 9

5

List of Tests of Fluid Flow

Group

Sub-Group

Air delivery system

Air displacement by fans (ceiling table, pedestal), Air delivery by exhaust fans, Air delivery by blowers (centrifugal & positive displacement) rate of flow & static pressure measurement, Air delivery by blowers: Integrated quantitative flow measurement,

Air

quantity

measurement

in

compressed air systems, Air flow measurement in ducts. Atmosphere air/ Environment

Wind

velocity

and

turbulence

level,

Wind

direction. Compressed gases and steam

Flow rate measurement in pipelines, Integrated quantity measurement (volumetric), Mass flow measurement.

Corrosive liquids

Volumetric (mass flow metering rate), Integrated volume / mass flow.

Flue gases/ emission

Flow rate and quantitative, Measurement of gases in chimneys (circular and rectangular ducts).

Gas-Liquid systems

Flow

rate

measurement,

Integrated

flow

measurement, Concentration. Gas-Solid systems

Flow rate measurement, Bed movement (fluidized system), Concentration.

Liquid vapour

Flow rate Mass flow (integrated)

Liquid-Solid systems

Flow rate measurement (Slurries), Integrated flow measurement, Concentration.



Page No: 8/ 9

Multifluid systems

Flow

measurement,

measurement,

Integrated

Individual

flow

component

measurement. Multiphase system

Flow

measurement,

measurement,

Integrated

Individual

flow

component

measurement, Concentration. Non-Newtonian fluids

Flow rate, Integrated mass flow metering.

Petroleum and related products

Flow rate measurement in pipes, Mass flow rate in pipes, Integrated volumetric flow metering, Integrated mass flow metering.

Ultra low flow

Leak rate of gases, Leak rate of liquids.

Volatile liquids

Flow rate measurement in pipes, Mass flow rate in pipes, Integrated volumetric flow metering, Integrated mass flow metering.

Water, other liquids (milk, oil, etc. and effluents)

Flow rate measurement in open channels, streams, Flow rate measurement in closed channels, sewers, Flow rate measurement in pipeline, Integrated volumetric flow metering in pipelines, Flow measurement at different heads from pumps and other similar devices.



Page No: 9/ 9

National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories 3rd Floor, NISCAIR 14, Satsang Vihar Marg New Mehrauli Road New Delhi – 110 067 Tel.: 91-11 26529718 – 20, 26526864 Fax: 91-11 26529716 Website: www.nabl-india.org

NABL 106 -Specific Criteria for Fluid Flow Testing Laboratories.pdf

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