"Flo-Cal" Calibration Management/Data Acquisition Software
An integral part of a Flow Dynamics calibration system is the "Flo-Cal" Windows-based software program that collects, reduces, plots, prints, and stores the data. This program allows the user to change the screen displays, data sheet formats, and data reduction equations on line without using source code and compilers. As new requirements for calibration processes, data, or correlations arise, the program can be changed by the user to meet these requirements.
Flo-Cal features include:
- Multiple gas capability
- Ability to automatically select the correct flow sensor for the appropriate flow range from a group of flow elements
- Ability to control flow rate
- Fluid property correlations for Cd, C*, Reynolds Number, Nusselt Number, etc.
Flo-Cal is entirely menu-driven and uses pop-up windows to present messages, input screens, and other user interfaces. The user may load previous calibrations, start a new calibration, print data, plot data, or select calibrator utility submenus. During the calibrations, a plot of the data taken may be displayed for the meter under calibration and compared against previous calibrations of the same flow meter. The parameters to plot are user-selected and may include any raw data or computed parameters.
Typical parameters that can be displayed on the screen, plotted and or printed include, but are not limited to: flow rate, frequency, K-factor, frequency/kinematic viscosity, density, viscosity (absolute or kinematic), Strouhal Number, Roshko Number, Reynolds Number, or Temperature. The user may create and implement equations to reduce or correlate the data in ANY desirable manner or unit set.
Software functions are provided to calibrate turbine meters, variable area meters, positive displacement meters, and any other type of meter that has a visual output, pulse output, or analog output contingent on the meter response time being within the stable flow period of a single stroke of the piston at the desired flow rate.
The Flo-Cal calibration management/data acquisition software is designed to:
- Display graphical plots of calibration
- Maintain a historical database of all calibrations
- Maintain a database of all flow meters to be calibrated
- Provide spreadsheet displays of a calibration during process
- Maintain math formulae for all types of flow meters to be calibrated
- Provide a printed calibration certificate with actual calibration values
- Provide non-dimensional value analysis of performance (Strouhal, Roshko, K-Factor, etc.)
Documented/traceable calibration accuracy to help users meet requirements for:
- NIST
- ISO-9000
- NQA-1
- NUPIC
- FDA
- EPA
Specifications:
- Flow Ranges: 0.01 to 1,000 SCFM
- Accuracy: ±0.6% of reading
- Repeatability: ±0.2% of reading
- Pressure Ranges: Vacuum to 500 PSIG
- Temperature Ranges: 40° to 100° F
- Process Connections: NPT, ANSI flanges, Army Navy (AN) fittings, others by request
- Gases: Air, inert gases, combustible gases