GE Sensing UTXDR Installation Guide
GE
Sensing & Inspection Technologies
Model UTXDR
Panametrics Ultrasonic Flow Transducer
Installation Guide
GE
Sensing & Inspection Technologies
Model UTXDR
Panametrics Ultrasonic Flow Transducer
Installation Guide
916-082A
October 2008
October 2008
Warranty Each instrument manufactured by GE Sensing, Inc. is warranted to be
free from defects in material and workmanship. Liability under this
warranty is limited to restoring the instrument to normal operation or
replacing the instrument, at the sole discretion of GE. Fuses and
batteries are specifically excluded from any liability. This warranty is
effective from the date of delivery to the original purchaser. If GE
determines that the equipment was defective, the warranty period is:
• one year for general electronic failures of the instrument
• one year for mechanical failures of the sensor
If GE determines that the equipment was damaged by misuse,
improper installation, the use of unauthorized replacement parts, or
operating conditions outside the guidelines specified by GE, the
repairs are not covered under this warranty.
The warranties set forth herein are exclusive and are in lieu of
all other warranties whether statutory, express or implied
(including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, and warranties arising from course of
dealing or usage or trade).
Return Policy If a GE Sensing, Inc. instrument malfunctions within the warranty
period, the following procedure must be completed:
1. Notify GE, giving full details of the problem, and provide the model
number and serial number of the instrument. If the nature of the
problem indicates the need for factory service, GE will issue a
RETURN AUTHORIZATION number (RA), and shipping instructions
for the return of the instrument to a service center will be
provided.
2. If GE instructs you to send your instrument to a service center, it
must be shipped prepaid to the authorized repair station indicated
in the shipping instructions.
3. Upon receipt, GE will evaluate the instrument to determine the
cause of the malfunction.
Then, one of the following courses of action will then be taken:
• If the damage is covered under the terms of the warranty, the
instrument will be repaired at no cost to the owner and returned.
• If GE determines that the damage is not covered under the terms
of the warranty, or if the warranty has expired, an estimate for the
cost of the repairs at standard rates will be provided. Upon receipt
of the owner’s approval to proceed, the instrument will be repaired
and returned.
iii
October 2008
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Preparing for Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Choosing an Installation Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Preparing the Pipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Obtaining Transducer Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Setting Transducer Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Couplants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installing the Transducers on the Pipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using Velcro Straps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using Metal Pipe Clamps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Maintaining the UTXDR Transducers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
v
October 2008
Introduction The Model UTXDR clamp-on ultrasonic flow transducer for liquids is
used exclusively with the GE Sensing line of ultrasonic flowmeters
(see Table 1 below). These transducers measure the flow rate of
sonically-conductive liquids through pipes having diameters from
0.5 in. (1.3 cm) to 8 in. (20.3 cm). Such measurements are typically
independent of the pipe material. Figure 1 below shows a typical
UTXDR transducer assembly.
Table 1: UTXDR Application Information
Flowmeter Model Cable Type Clamp Type
UTX878 3C Metal
DF868, XMT868 & AT868 2C Metal
PT878 LM Velcro
Figure 1: UTXDR Transducer Assembly
Preparing for Installation Before the clamping fixture and transducers can be properly installed:
• Choose an installation location.
• Prepare the pipe.
• Obtain the transducer spacing.
Caution!
A flowmeter’s accuracy and performance depends on
the location, spacing, and alignment of the transducers.
The transducer spacing is unique to your installation.
Installing UTXDR Transducers 1
October 2008
Choosing an Installation Location
Locate the transducer measurement point at least 3 ft (1 m) from any
butt welds or flanges. Ideally the location would be in the center of a
20 ft (6 m) section of straight pipe. Make sure there is 6 in. (15 cm)
clearance on both sides of the pipe for easy transducer installation.
Note: To guarantee the specified accuracy of the flowmeter, a
straight section of pipe and a fully-developed flow profile are
highly recommended. However, if such conditions are not
possible, the transducer location should be such that the
acoustic signal travels through the full distribution of the
under-developed flow profile for best repeatability.
Preparing the Pipe To prepare the pipe for transducer installation, complete the following
steps:
1. Remove any rust and paint from an area 2 in. (5 cm) wide by 12 in.
(30 cm) long on one side of the pipe.
2. Polish the cleaned area, taking care to preserve the original
curvature of the pipe.
3. With an ultrasonic thickness gage, measure the pipe thickness at a
minimum of six spots on the cleared area. Take at least three
measurements at each spot to ensure accuracy. The thickness
readings should not vary by more than 5% at each spot. If you
encounter more than a 5% variation at each spot, try a different
section of the pipe. Verify that the wall thickness at both
transducer locations has less than the 5% variation.
Obtaining Transducer Spacing
4. Measure the outside diameter (OD) of the pipe using a tape
measure or the supplied pipe wrap.
Before installing the clamping fixture, you must obtain the transducer
spacing from the flowmeter. You will need to know the transducer
spacing later in this procedure.
To obtain the spacing, you must enter the measured OD and the
average pipe wall thickness into the flowmeter’s user program (Pipe
Parameters) to determine the transducer spacing. Refer to your
flowmeter User’s Manual or Startup Guide for more details, and for
instructions on navigating to the programming screen for the
transducer spacing.
2 Installing UTXDR Transducers
Setting Transducer Spacing
October 2008
Adjustment Screws
Figure 2: The UTXDR Transducer Design
To set the desired transducer spacing:
1. Loosen the red screws on the adjustable transducer (shown in
Figure 2 above).
2. Slide the adjustable transducer on the rails until you have
positioned it at the desired spacing. Use the ruler on the rails and
the white tick mark on the transducer housing to assist in setting
the correct spacing.
3. Tighten the red screws to secure the transducer to the rails.
Installing UTXDR Transducers 3
October 2008
Couplants An ultrasonic couplant is supplied for your UTXDR installation. The
purpose of the couplant is to provide reliable transmission of
ultrasound between two adjacent solid surfaces. Generally speaking,
couplants perform this task by excluding air from between the
adjacent surfaces. Accordingly, the UTXDR transducers should be
pressed tightly against the pipe to squeeze the couplant to as thin a
film as practical for the given pipe surface.
The most commonly used couplants in ultrasonic testing are
ordinarily satisfactory for any short-term clamp-on flowmeter
application. These couplants include, in general order of preference:
gels, grease, propylene glycol, oil, glycerine, and water. Long-term
couplants include grease, epoxy adhesive, and solid rubber-like sheet
couplant.
The factory provides couplants for both permanent and temporary use
as well as for high- and low-temperature applications. For long-term
installations, make sure the couplant does not dry or run out.
Standard couplants supplied by GE are listed in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Couplants
PART NO. TYPE TEMP. RANGE USE
CPL-1 Standard
-40 to 149
(-40 to +65
CPL-2 High/Low
Temperature
CPL-3 For Portable
-256 to 500
(-160 to +260
-4 to 140
(-20 to +60
CPL-4 Special As Required *Difficult
CPL-7 Epoxy
14 to 122
(-10 to +50
CPL-8 Solid Sheet
-40 to 446
(-40 to +230
* Installations involving hotter or colder temperatures than listed above,
may require special couplants. Consult the factory for such applications.
o
F
o
C)
o
o
o
F
o
C)
Semi-Permanent
Semi-Permanent
F
C)
Temporary
Applications
o
F
o
C)
o
F
o
C)
Permanent
Permanent
4 Installing UTXDR Transducers
Loading...