Honeywell RABO G65, RABO G100, RABO G160, RABO G250 Instruction Manual
RABO
®
Rotary Gas
Meter
Instruction
Manual
ELSTER
RABO® Rotary
Gas Meter
3 Honeywell
RABO® Rotary
Gas
Meter
Table of
Contents
1. General Information 3
2. Intended Use and Application 3
3. Operating Principle 3
4. Receiving, Handling and Storage 4
5. Installation 4
6. Start-up/Commissioning 6
7. Decommissioning and Removal 6
8. Inspection and Maintenance 6
9. Testing 6
10. Technical Data 8
11. Index 12
12. Pulser 14
13. Thermowell 15
14. Instrument Drive (ID) 15
15. Auxiliary Equipment Mounting 17
16. Direct mount TCI or EC350 18
17. Troubleshooting 19
1. General Inform ation
This manual covers the installation, operation
and
maintenance for the Elster Instromet RABO Rotary
Meter.
Refer
to EAM-TB
5900 for additional information.
2. Intended
Use and Application
Elster RABO meters are suitable for measur ing most types of
clean, dry, non-corrosive common gases. They are NOT
intended
for
use on biogas,
sewage
gas, oxygen, acetylene
or liquids of any kind. Product life and measurement accuracy
can be
affected
by contamination in
the gas stream. Periodic
servicing will prolong
the life and performance of
the meter.
3. Operating Principle
The RABO
meter ut
ilizes positive displacement principle of
operation which
makes volumetric measurements by
displacing finite volumes of
gas. The positive displacement
occurs w
ithin a cavity formed between the meter’s internal
housing
and its rotating impellers. The counter-rotating
“figure-
8”
impellers [Figure
1]
turn as a result of
pressure
drop across
the
meter’s inlet and outlet created as downstream
gas is
consumed. The rotating
impellers
separate
the flowing gas
into small , fin ite volumes and are counted using a mechanical
index. The
RABO
meter
has no wearing parts
because
precision
clearances between
the impellers and meter body
are maintained by timing
gears,
which are
designed
to
enhance
long term accuracy. Combining
adequate
filtration
and periodic
maintenance, a RABO
meter will remain accurate
over many
years.
As the
left
impeller
rotates
toward the
vertical
position, gas enters the
cavity
created
between the
impeller and the
housing.
When the
left
impeller
reaches
the vertical
position, a
finite
volume of gas is
captured in
the
left
cavity.
As the impellers continue
to turn, the volume of gas
in the
left cavity
is
discharged.
Simultaneously, gas is
entering the space
between
the right impeller
and
housing.
After
further rotation,
the
right impeller
becomes
vertical
and a
finite
volume of gas is
captured in
the
right
cavity.
Figure 1. Operating Principle
ELSTER
RABO® Rotary
Gas Meter
4 Honeywell
4. Receiving, Handling and Storage
Elster
RABO
meters should
be handled with care to protect
the
product from damage.
If
the package shows evidence
of damage
through mishandling in transit,
you should notify
the
shipper immediately, file
a claim with the carrier
and notify
your
Elster supplier.
Damage to internal
components may occur wit
hout
visible external
damage.
All
new meters should
be
inspected and
checked for free rotation of
the impellers
by
lightly blowing into the inlet of
the meter. This
slight
air
pressure should
cause the impellers
to rotate freely and
come to a stop
slowly.
NOTICE
DO NOT
attempt to make any repairs. Tampering with the
meter
may void warranty coverage.
If
a meter shows signs of external
damage,
or
if
the
impellers do
not rotate freely,
contact your local Elster sales
representative for return instructions.
Elster
RABO
meters are supplied
with oil in a separate
containe
r. A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is available
upon
request.DO NOT
put oil in the meter until
it is installed
and
leveled in the gas piping system. Meters containing oil
that are transported or
not installed level may lead
to
contamination of the measurement chamber, and
will impact
accuracy.
Store Elster RABO
meters in their original shipping container
in a dry location until installation.
If prolonged
storage is
experienced, RABO
meters should
be tested for accuracy
before installation.
5. Installation
Elster
RABO
meters can be installed in horizontal or vertical
(top inlet) piping configurations. Vertical (top inlet) piping is
preferred
because
it
enables
the meter to pass
contaminants
more freely through the meter .
All
piping should
be properly
supported
and aligned to eliminate any strain on
the meter, which may
cau
se
the impellers to bind.
Recommended
piping practices include a
filter
or strainer on
the
inlet of the meter and non-lubricated isolation valves. A
bypass
line will facilitate
maintenance
and removal of the
meter
and provide uninterrupted gas supply.
The meter should not be installed lower than the outlet pipe
run.
If it
is
necessary
to install the meter lower than the outlet
pipe run, installation of a drip leg in the outlet piping to capture
condensate
is
recommended.
The meter should never be
located at the lowest point in the system.
A restricting
orifice
can also be installed at least 4 pipe
diameters downstream
of the outlet of the meter to prevent
the meter from flowing excess capacity. Warranty does not
cover failures due to excess
flow
conditions.
a) Piping Configurations
[Figures
2, 3 and 4]
NOTICE
DO NOT weld piping while meter is installed in
the piping system.
NOTICE
If
hydro testing, remove the meter from the piping
system.
Figure
2. Horizontal installation, side vie
w
Figure
3. Vertical installation, side view
ELSTER
RABO® Rotary
Gas Meter
5 Honeywell
b) Mounting
1) Always follow your company’s
procedures, an
d
applicable local codes and ordinances.
2) Ensure
gas valves
are closed.
3) Ensure
the upstream piping is clean
and free of any
debris.
4) Remove protective caps from
meter inlet and outlet
prior
to installation.
5) Ensure
the impellers
turn freely.
6) Ensure
the direction of flow using the arrow on th
e
nameplate.
7) Ensure
the meter orientation is correct. Impeller
shafts must be horizontal [Figure 4].
Figure
4. Side vie
w
8) Connect the inlet and outlet pipe
flanges usin
g
appropriate bolts and gaskets. Inlet and outlet pipe
flanges s
hould
be parallel and should
not introduce
any bind
on the meter body when tightened.
9) Level meter to within 1/16“per foot in all directions an
d
tighten flange bolts evenly (maximum 80ft-lbs).
c
) Adding O
il
Figure
5. Horizontal installation
Figure
6. Vertical installati
on
!
WARNING
Add
oil only
to the inde
x end of the meter
.
1) Ensure gas valves
are closed
and meter and
piping are depressurized.
!
WARNING
Failure to depressurize the meter prior
to
removing meter and/or components could result
in persona
l injury and/or property damage.
2) Remove oil
fill plug in the counter end case cover
using a
5mm hex key [Figures 5 and 6].
3) Using the supplied syringe
and oil, slowly
add oil until
it is +/-1/16“of the center of
the sight glass [Figure 7]
.
DO NOT OVERFILL. Only use Shell Morlina lubricating oil.
!
WARNING
Figure
7. Sight glass
DO NOT remove any sight glasses. No maintenance
can be performed throug
h these openings.
4)
Reinstall
the
oil fill
plug.
ELSTER
RABO® Rotary
Gas Meter
6 Honeywell
6. Start-up/Commissioning
7. Decommissioning and Removal
After
the meter has been properly installed,
it
is important to
use
extreme care during start-up to mitigate adverse
conditions
that
can
damage
the
meter.
a) Ensure
that the maximum operating
pressure of the
meter
will
not be exceeded.
b) Always follow your company’s
procedures,
and local
codes
and ordinances.
c) With
the meter run’s inlet
and outlet valves closed,
open
the
bypass valve and pressurize the piping system.
d) With
the meter outlet valve closed, slowly
open the
meter inlet valve not to exceed 5 psig
per second until
pressure is equalized throughout the meter piping
system.
Rapid pressurization can cause an over
-
speed condition and can
damage
the meter.
Damage
will
not be covered under warranty. When
the meter
piping system
pressure is stabilized,
open
the
inlet valve completely.
e) Slowly
open the meter’s outlet valve until the meter starts
to operate at
low
speed.
Meter
speed
can be seen
through
the view port located on the back of
the meter
[Figure 8].
VIEW PORT
(DO NOT REMOVE )
Figure
8. Back of meter
a) Always follow your company’s
procedures,
and local
codes
and ordinances.
b
) Slowly open bypass valve.
c) Slowly close
the meter’s outlet valve,
then the inlet valve.
d) Slowly, completely depressurize
the meter piping.
!
W
ARNING
Failure to depressurize the meter prior
to removing
m
eter and/or components could result in personal
injury and/or property damage.
e) Drain oil from the index end case cover and dispose of
the
o
il in
accordance with applicable regulations.
f) If removing
the meter from
the piping
system, loosen
flange bolts. Ensure
meter is properly supported before
removin
g bolts completely.
8. Inspecti
on
and Maintenance
It is recommended
to inspect Elster RABO
meters periodically
to h
elp
ensure accurate performance over a long period of
time. Maintenance intervals can be derived from inspection
criteria.
Routine inspections s
hould include:
a) Checking
to ensure the meter is level in all plane
s
b) Listening for abnormal sounds in
the meter
c) Checking oil level and clarity
— oil s
hould
be red and clea
r
d) Checking index
movement
if
gas is flowing
e) Checking f or le aks
f) Tes ti ng t he met er’ s differential pressure
Routine maintenance should include
:
a) Changing the oil if th e col or bec om es dark
b
) Adding oil
if
the color is
red and clear, but below the
recommended level
f)
Operate the meter at low flow for 1
to 2 minutes
to verify
proper operation.
If
the index does not start registration,
or if
you hear knocking or scraping
sounds coming from
the
meter, stop the flow and follow appropriate
decommissioning procedures before removing the
meter
from the line.
g)
If operation is satisfactory, gradually
open the meter’s
outlet valve
to the full open position.
h) Slowly close
the bypass valve.
i)
Check the meter connections for leaks using comm
on
industry practices.
j) Clock the meter (see Index section 11c)
to confirm
the flow
rate is not exceeding
the maximum capacity of
the
meter.
k) Perform and record the meter’s differential
pressure
(see Testing section 9b).
9. Testing
Elster
RABO
meters should
be tested in accordance with
applicable governing standards. The accuracy of
a meter
can
only be determined by comparing results to a traceable
reference, typically a sonic nozzle, bell, piston or transfer
prover. Accuracy may
be done on site using transfer provers,
and
typically requires removal for testing
with other
tec
hnologies.
Differential pressure testing is
a method of determining
w
hether the performance of
a rotary meter may have
changed
over time, and can be done on site while
the meter
is operating under
pressure. Baseline data must be captured
during
initial
start-up to which future data can be compared.
a) Proving
When testing a meter on a prover, the meter
temperature, pressure
and volume
are necessary
inputs for the provin
g device. The
meter temperature is
obtained by a temperature probe installed
near the inlet
of the meter. A thermowe
ll
can be installed in the meter
run
piping or on the meter itself to facilitate installation of
the
temperature probe. The
meter
pressure should
come
from the meter differential pressure taps.
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