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Basic Principles of Instrument Calibration

Calibration is the process of adjusting an instrument so its output accurately corresponds to its input throughout a specified range. This ensures the instrument performs as expected and delivers accurate, reliable results that meet quality standards. Calibration involves comparing instrument readings to a reference standard and making adjustments if needed. It should be performed regularly, such as annually, to account for instrument drift over time due to aging components. Calibration records document the process and history to track any performance changes.

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279 views

Basic Principles of Instrument Calibration

Calibration is the process of adjusting an instrument so its output accurately corresponds to its input throughout a specified range. This ensures the instrument performs as expected and delivers accurate, reliable results that meet quality standards. Calibration involves comparing instrument readings to a reference standard and making adjustments if needed. It should be performed regularly, such as annually, to account for instrument drift over time due to aging components. Calibration records document the process and history to track any performance changes.

Uploaded by

Lugabaluga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Principles of Instrument Calibration

Every instrument has at least one input and one output. For a pressure
sensor, the input would be some fluid pressure and the output would (most
likely) be an electronic signal. For a variable-speed motor drive, the input
would be an electronic signal and the output would be electric power to the
motor. To calibrate an instrument means to check and adjust (if necessary)
its response so the output accurately corresponds to its input throughout a
specified range
Calibration is one exercise that is often taken for granted within an
industrial plant. Even the most important industrial equipment will become
useless if it is not calibrated. Through the process of calibration, adjustments
are made to a piece of equipment or device to ensure that it performs as
expected to deliver predictable, accurate and reliable results that meet
quality standards. Adjustments made during calibration must fall within
certain tolerances. Such tolerances represent very small, acceptable
deviations from the equipments specified accuracy
Definition of Calibration.
Instrument calibration can be defined in several ways. Put simply,
calibration is the process of adjusting an instrument or equipment to meet
the manufacturers specifications.
Calibration can also be defined as the process of issuing data including
a report or certificate of calibration that assures an end user of a products
conformance with its specifications.
To the instrument engineer or technician, calibration is the process of
determining the relationship between the values of the quantity being
measured and that indicated on a measuring instrument. The calibration of
an instrument can be carried out by comparing the readings on the
instrument with those given by a reference instrument or calibrator. From
time to time, the manufacturers reference instruments are sent to a
calibration center to be calibrated against national standards.
When an instrument is purchased, the manufacturers calibration data
is generally supplied. Most instrument manufacturers have sets of reference
instruments against which all instruments they produce are calibrated
Why Calibrate an Instrument?
Virtually all equipment degrades in some fashion over time, and
electronic equipment, a mainstay of todays manufacturing process, is not an
exception. As components age, they lose stability and drift from their

published specifications. Even normal handling can adversely affect


calibration, and rough handling can throw a piece of equipment completely
out of calibration even though it may appear to be okay physically.
Continuing calibration assures the equipment continually meets the
specification required at installation and it should be checked frequently
thereafter. Calibration is required after any maintenance to ensure that the
equipment still conforms to the required calibration data. A well designed
and organized calibration program often leads to benefits in quality,
productivity and increased revenue.
How Often Should We Calibrate?
This can vary greatly within an industry or a plant. The manufacturer
usually does the initial calibration on its equipment. Subsequent calibrations
are to be done by the end user or by the manufacturer as it were. The
frequency of recalibration will vary with the type of equipment and the
prevailing conditions where the equipment is applied. Deciding when to
recalibrate an instrument depends mainly on how well the equipment
performs in the application.
As a rule, however, re-calibration should be performed at least once a
year. In more critical applications however, the frequency will be much
greater.
Common Terms Used in Instrument Calibration:
Calibration Range
The calibration range of an instrument is defined as the region
between the limits within which a quantity is measured, received or
transmitted, expressed by stating the lower (LRV) and upper(URV) range
values. These limits are defined by the Zero and Span values. The zero value
is the lower end of the range or LRV and the upper range value is the URV.
For example if an instrument is to be calibrated to measure pressure in the
range 0psig to 400psig, then LRV = 0 and the URV = 400psig. The calibration
range is therefore 0 to 400psig.
Span
Span is defined as the algebraic difference between the upper and
lower range values.
Span = URV LRV
For the example considered above, where the calibration range is 0 to
400psig. Then our span = 400 0 = 400psig.

Instrument Range
The instrument range refers to the capability of the instrument. It is
often the nameplate rating of the instrument. For example an instrument
nameplate rating may read:
Instrument range:
0 -800psig
Output:
4 to 20mA.
Never confuse the instrument range with the calibration range. They
are two different things. Although our instrument range is 0 800psig, we
may decide to calibrate it to a range 0 400psig or even 0 800psig for an
application with high input pressure in which case the instrument range
becomes the calibration range of the device.
Ranging an Instrument
To range an instrument means to set the lower and upper range values
so it responds with the desired sensitivity to changes in input. Suppose we
want to use a pressure transmitter to measure pressure in the range 0 -100
bar to give an output of 4 20mA. To range this transmitter, we simply set:
0 bar= 4mA
100 bar = 20mA
Closely related to ranging is re-ranging which simply means resetting
the lower and upper range values to a different measurement range. For
example, suppose we want to re-range the above transmitter to now
measure pressure in the range 50 150 bar we simply reset as follows:
50 bar = 4mA
150 bar = 20mA
Zero and Span Adjustments
Zero and Span Adjustments are commonly done on analog and smart
instruments. By adjusting both zero and span, we may set the instrument for
any range of measurement within the manufacturers limits. For most analog
instruments, zero and span adjustments are interactive. That is, adjusting
one has an effect on the other. Specifically, changes made to the span
adjustment almost always alter the instruments zero point. An instrument
with interactive zero and span adjustments requires much more effort to
accurately calibrate, as one must switch back and forth between the lowerand upper-range points repeatedly to adjust for accuracy
For smart instruments however, there is no interaction between the zero and
span adjustments.

Five Point Calibration


When calibrating an instrument, as a general rule, the instrument data
points should include readings taken at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the
calibration range of the instrument. This is often referred to as a five-point
calibration. During a five-point calibration exercise, both upscale (increasing)
and downscale (decreasing) testing should be done to determine the
repeatability and hysteresis of the particular instrument.
Field Calibration
In field calibration, the instrument is not removed from the process. In
fact it remains in its mounting brackets. Field calibration allows the field
instrument to be tested or calibrated at the true process and ambient
conditions. Calibration done under field conditions is often very different from
those done under shop conditions and they even produce different
calibration results. Most field instruments have isolating valve manifold that
make it easy to disconnect them from the process. After disconnection, the
instrument is vented to the atmosphere before the test or calibration signal
is applied.
In-Shop or Bench Calibration
A bench calibration is a procedure where the instrument is calibrated
at a calibration bench using calibration devices to simulate the process,
rather than calibrating the device in the field using the actual process itself
as the input means. Here, the instrument is disconnected from the process,
cleaned and taken to the shop where it is mounted on a test stand at a
calibration bench.
Bench Tester
A bench tester is used for carrying out bench calibration of an
instrument or device. It consists of a highly accurate standard gauge and a
pressure source for producing test pressure required for testing the
instrument. Most bench testers are fabricated on the job site by instrument
technicians, while some are ordered as complete systems from vendors. A
standard bench should have various hoses and pumps that are well labelled
and organized to aid technicians in the calibration process.
Calibrators
Calibrators are used to calibrate instruments that require calibration.
They vary in form and function with the equipment or device they are
designed to calibrate. Typical calibrators include:

a) Block calibrator and fluidized baths are used to calibrate temperature


probes RTDs, Thermocouples etc.
b) Signal Reference is used to calibrate panel meters and temperature
controllers. It is a type of calibrator that can generate a known
electrical signal. There are voltage, current, and frequency signal
references. Once a signal from one of these calibrators is fed into the
equipment in question, the display or output value of the equipment
can be adjusted until it matches the known signal. The simulator, a
special kind of signal reference, generates sensor output. Signal
references and simulators can often read as well as generate signals.
c) Pneumatic Calibrators. These are calibrators which provide a regulated
pressure regime required to test or calibrate pressure instruments.
They are often used in conjunction with a pressure source.
Calibration Records
Calibration records are the documentation that is done to ensure that
the history of the device or instrument is not lost. It also aid in
troubleshooting any drift in the instruments performance over time.
Calibration records should show:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

The
The
The
The
The

as found data
current calibration date
final calibration or as left data
name or initials of the technician who did the calibration
date the instrument is due for the next calibration

As Found Data
The as found data of an instrument to be calibrated is the response
(reading) from the device at the points of calibration (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%
and 100%) before the actual calibration exercise begins.
As Left Data
The as left data of an instrument is the response (reading) from the
device at the points of calibration (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) after the
instrument has been calibrated.
Traceability
All calibrations should be performed traceable to a nationally or
internationally recognized standard. Traceability is defined as the property of
a result of a measurement whereby it can be related to appropriate
standards, generally national or international standards, through an
unbroken chain of comparisons. This means that the calibrations performed

are traceable to a national or international standard. In the U.S, we have


NIST as a national standard. The National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, oversees the
development of measurement standards and technology consistent with the
International System of Units (SI).
Traceability is achieved by ensuring that the test standards we use for
calibration operations are regularly calibrated by higher level reference
standards.
Typically
the measurement standards we use in a workshop are sent out periodically
to a standards laboratory which has more accurate test equipment. The
standards from the calibration laboratory are in turn periodically checked for
calibration by higher level standards, and so on until eventually the
standards are tested against Primary Standards maintained by NIST or
another internationally recognized standard.

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