V-16—Classification of liquids for the approval of liquid meters

Category: Volume
Issue date: 2023-12-15
Effective date: 2023-12-15
Revision number: 4
Supersedes: V-16 (rev. 3)

Table of contents

1.0 Scope

This bulletin is applicable to positive displacement meters, turbine meters with certain limitations on viscosity for a given group, and to mass flow meters.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to facilitate the approval of liquid meters that are designed to measure a variety of products. The bulletin also classifies liquids normally measured volumetrically into groups of liquids having similar viscosity and density properties.

3.0 Background

When liquid meters are submitted for approval, the manufacturer is not always aware of all the products that the meters can be used to measure. Experience has shown that liquids can be grouped together according to physical characteristics that affect their measurability, such as viscosity, density, lubricity and chemical compatibility. This bulletin focusses on grouping liquids based solely on their viscosity and density properties.

The tables found in this bulletin classify liquids having similar viscosity and density properties into product groups and subgroups. These tables have been developed in conjunction with the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and are intended to be the same as those found in the NCWM Publication 14.

The increased use of alternative fuels has necessitated a revision of Table 1 in order to address the differences in the viscosity and density properties of diesel, biodiesel, hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) and blends thereof.

Bulletin V-18 provides volume correction factors and standard density values for some common products.

4.0 References

5.0 Definitions

Biodiesel
(biodiesel)

Fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat that meets the ASTM D6751 standard specification.

Hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel
(diesel renouvelable produit par hydrogénation)

Fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat by a hydrotreating process that meets the ASTM petroleum diesel specification.

All words and expressions used in this bulletin have the same meaning as in the Regulations.

6.0 Use of the tables

6.1 General

A liquid meter is initially tested for use in measuring the types of products and the viscosity and density ranges that the approval applicant wishes to have included in the meter's Notice of Approval. The following sections detail how additional products can be included in the notice of approval.

6.2 Positive displacement meters and turbine meters

A liquid meter that is successfully tested for use in measuring only one liquid will be approved for use in trade for measuring that liquid only.

If subsequently, the meter is successfully tested for use in measuring a second liquid in the same subgroup, the meter will be approved for measuring all the liquids in the subgroup provided that the viscosities of the two liquids adequately bracket the subgroup's range from the lowest to the highest viscosity.

If an approval applicant finds a new product application for a meter that has already received approval, and the new product falls within the subgroup currently listed on the Notice of Approval, no additional approval testing is required. If the product does not fall within the subgroup currently listed, the approval applicant may request additional approval testing to have the new product added to the list of approved products.

6.3 Coriolis mass flow meters

For a mass flow meter to be approved for measuring a single, normally liquid product, the density of the product must not vary by more than ±100 kg/m3.

For a mass flow meter to be approved for measuring a range of densities in the normal liquid product group, it must be tested with two different liquids within the product group. Upon successful completion of these tests, all other normally liquid products having densities between the densities of the two test products will be included in the meter's Notice of Approval. This does not apply to the following product groups: compressed liquids, cryogenic liquids and heated products. In the case of these product groups, testing is conducted with only one liquid within each group. Upon successful testing, the entire product group will be included in the meter's Notice of Approval.

For multi-product applications (that is, applications in which the meter will be used to measure different products that have densities varying by more than 100 kg/m3 without a change to zero or calibration of the meter), the meter must be tested with multiple products. For this test, the meter is tested initially on one product of a known density and tested again on another product with a known density of at least ±200 kg/m3 from the initial product density. The range may be extended by testing on a product from any of the product groups having a density greater than ±200 kg/m3 from the initial product density.

7.0 Classification of liquids

7.1 Products measured with positive displacement and turbine meters

Table 1: Classification of liquids that can be measured with positive displacement and turbine meters
Product group Product subgroup Examples of liquids within the subgroup Typical viscosity range
(SSU, cSt, cP)Footnote 1		 Typical density rangeFootnote 2
(g/cm3)
I. Petroleum products a) refined petroleum products
  • < 500
  • 0.6–108
  • 0.4–106
 0.64–1.1
b) aviation fuels
  • aviation gasoline (AVGAS), Jet A,
    Jet A-1, Jet B, JP 4, JP 5, JP 7, JP 8
  • < 40
  • 0.6–4.2
  • 0.4–3.6
 0.65–0.85
c) lubricating oils
  • SAE grades
  • 150–10000
  • 32–2200
  • 28–2150
 0.85 – 0.98
d) heated products
  • bitumen (asphalt), 6 oil, bunker oil, crude oil
  • 150–10000
  • 32–2200
  • 25–2420
 0.8–1.1
II. Alternative products to refined petroleum products a) biodiesel and blends
  • biodiesel and blends thereof with diesel, where biodiesel > 10%
 0.83–0.90
b) HDRD and blends
  • HDRD and blends thereof with diesel, where HDRD > 10%
 0.78–0.90
c) ethanol blends with gasoline
  • ethanol blends with gasoline, where ethanol > 10%
 0.65–0.78
III. Solvents a) general solvents
  • acetate, acetone, ester, ethyl acetate,
    hexane, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), naphtha, toluene, xylene
  • < 35
  • 0.6–2.8
  • 0.4–2.5
 0.6–0.90
b) chlorinated solvents
  • carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene
  • < 35
  • 0.6–2.8
  • 0.4–4.5
 0.6–1.6
c) alcohols, glycols and waters mixes thereof
  • butanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, isobutyl, isopropyl, methanol, propylene glycol
  • < 250
  • 0.6–54
  • 0.4–65
 0.6–1.2
IV. Compressed gases –
liquefied		 a) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
  • butane, propane
  • n/a
  • 0.2–0.3
  • 0.1–0.2
 0.5–0.65
b) anhydrous ammonia (NH3)
  • anhydrous ammonia
  • n/a
  • 0.5
  • 0.4
 0.6
V. Agricultural liquids a) fertilizers - clear liquid N-P-K
  • 10-34-0, 4-10-10,
    9-18-9
  • 50–100
  • 7.5–20
  • 5.3–26
 0.7–1.35
b) fertilizers - nitrogen solutions and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)
  • 20% aqua ammonia solutions,
    28%, 30% or 32% urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) solutions, DEF
  • 32–100
  • 1.5–20
  • 1.1–27
 0.7–1.35
c) fertilizers - suspensions
  • 3-10-30, 4-4-27
  • 100–1000
  • 20–215
  • 18–360
 0.9–1.65
d) herbicides - thin liquids
  • Eradicane,
    Lorox, Princep, Roundup, Sencor, Sutan, Sutazine, Treflan
  • 100–250
  • 20–54
  • 18–65
 0.6–1.2
e) herbicides - viscous liquids
  • Dual Magnum
  • 200–500
  • 43–120
  • 26–144
 0.7–1.2
f) herbicides - flowable
  • Aatrex, atrazine, Bicep, Bladex
  • 500–3500
  • 118–760
  • 106–912
 0.9–1.2
g) liquid feed
  • liquid molasses, molasses mixed with phosphoric acid and/or urea
  • 50–250000
  • 7.5–54000
  • 7.5–81000
 1.0–1.5
VI. Water n/a
  • deionized water, demineralized water,
    potable water, tap water
  • 31
  • 1.0
  • 1.0
 1.0
VII. Acid products n/a
  • hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid
  • < 750
  • 1.0–160
  • 1.0–296
 1.0–1.85

7.2 Products measured with Coriolis mass flow meters

Table 2: Classification of liquid products that can be measured with Coriolis mass flow meters
Product group Examples of liquids within the product group Specific gravity Minimum test requirements for the entire subgroupFootnote 1
Normal liquids water, alcohols, glycols and water mixes thereof, agricultural liquids, chemicals, fertilizers, petroleum solvents, alternative products to petroleum distillates and blends thereof 0.7– 2.5

Test with one liquid having a density of 700 kg/m3 and with another liquid having a density of 2500 kg/m3.

One product from this category will be used for durability testing.
Compressed liquids butane, NH3, propane, etc. 0.3–0.68

Test with one liquid having a density at any point within the range of 300 kg/m3 to 680 kg/m3.

One product from this category will be used for durability testing.
Cryogenic liquids (boiling point < -152 °C) liquefied oxygen, liquefied nitrogen, etc. 0.07–1.4

Test with one liquid having a density at any point within the range of 70 kg/m3 to 1400 kg/m3.

One product from this category will be used for durability testing.
Heated Products (above 50°C) Bunker C, Asphalt, etc. 0.8 to 1.2

Test with one liquid having a density at any point within the range of 800 kg/m3 to 1200 kg/m3.

One product from this category will be used for durability testing.

8.0 Revisions

The purpose of revision 4 was to:

  • revise the "Background" section to address the differences between petroleum distillates and alternative fuels;
  • add a "References" section;
  • add the definitions of biodiesel and hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD);
  • add the group "Alternative products to refined petroleum products" to Table 1, which includes biodiesel and HDRD;
  • add diesel exhaust fluid to the product group "Agricultural liquids";
  • remove "freon" from the list of compressed liquids in Table 1;
  • rename the group "Chemicals" to "Acid products" in Table 1;
  • revise the value of the specific gravity for the compressed liquids in Table 2; and
  • remove the "Additional Information" section.

The purpose of revision 3 was to simplify requirements regarding the classification of liquids for the approval of liquid meters (PBRI2008).

The purpose of revision 2 was to:

  • provide the policy for evaluating mass flow meters for different product applications;
  • reformat the document;
  • add the "Background" section; and
  • make slight test changes.

The purpose of revision 1 was to:

  • change the viscosity values to include units in Saybolt universal seconds, centistoke and centipoise; and
  • make slight changes to the specific gravity values.
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