History
The equipment checking and testing laboratory has been included in the structure of the Gas Research and Design Centre, Medias in 1971, subordinated to the Combustion Process Research and Designing Workshop. The lab activity was focused mainly on the study, design and optimization of the gas fuel combustion process of the industrial and non-industrial burners.
Starting with 1990, due to the Romanian economic crisis and particularly due to the heavy industry, the object of the lab’s activity has gradually diversified, due to the decrease in the market interest especially in terms of industrial burners, and due to the increase in the number of testing requests in terms of homologation of other equipment related to the natural gas industry, i.e. regulators, meters, valves, hose assemblies, separation and odoration equipment.
Activity
The laboratory is provided with the technical competence required for the following types of tests:
- Lab and field measurements and technical valuations for burners/ combustion equipment (especially of gas fuels).
- Tests for the natural gas pressure regulators within inlet pressure ranges of up to 6 bar and flow rates smaller than 1,600 Scm/h.
- Tests for other devices /equipment designed for the natural gas installations (block valves, natural gas hose assemblies, electro-insulating nipples).
- Noise level measurements.
- Other measurements specific to the natural gas sector.
Instrumentation
Metering equipment
Presently the laboratory is endowed with a great variety of high precision metering devices, for the determination of the following physical values:
|
Parameter |
Type of equipment |
Metering range |
Precision (the best value) |
|
Relative pressure and draught |
Digital indicators, |
0-70 bar for pressure; ± 50 hPa for draught |
0.05% |
|
Relative pressure |
Analog pressure gauges |
0-60 bar |
0.25 % |
|
Absolute pressure |
Digital pressure gauge |
0-10 bara |
0.07 % |
|
Differential pressure |
Digital indicators |
0-700 mbar |
0.1 % FS |
|
Temperature (immersion, gas) |
Digital thermometers, |
0.1200 Celsius degrees, depending on the device and type of probe |
0.01 Celsius degrees |
|
Temperature |
Digital thermometers |
0-300 Celsius degrees |
0.0 Celsius degrees |
|
Natural gas flow rates |
Lobed-impeller meter |
G100 |
1% |
|
Voltage |
Digital calibration gauge |
0-60 V |
0.004 % |
|
Intensity |
Digital calibration gauge |
0-52 mA |
0.05 % |
|
Frequency |
Digital calibration gauge |
0-20000 Hz |
0.1 Hz |
|
Electric resistance |
Digital calibration gauge |
0-2000 ohms |
0.020 % |
|
O2 concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
0-21 % |
± 0.2 % |
|
CO2 concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
Value calculated depending on the type of fuel |
± 0.2 % |
|
CO concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
0-8000 ppm |
± 20 ppm |
|
NO concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
0-2000 ppm |
± 20 ppm |
|
NO2 concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
0-100 ppm |
± 10 ppm |
|
SO2 concentration in exhaust gas |
Exhaustion gas analyzer |
0-2000 ppm |
± 20 ppm |
|
CH4 concentration |
Portable digital detector |
0-100% |
± 5% |
|
Mercaptan concentration |
Portable digital detector |
- |
- |
|
Speed |
Digital thermo-hydro-anemometer |
0-100 m/s |
± 2.5% |
|
Atmospheric humidity |
Digital thermo-hydro-anemometer |
0-100 % rH |
± 2 % |
|
Natural gas dew point |
Digital dew point meter |
-120 - +30 Celsius degrees |
± 1 Celsius degree |
|
Total gas humidity |
Digital Carl – Fischer apparatus |
0-10000µ |
± 1µg |
|
Noise level |
Digital noise and vibration analyzer |
0-140 dB |
0.1 dB |
Regarding the test stands and the technological equipment of the Laboratory, the endowment is as follows:
