Electronic Registers and Ancillary Equipment Incorporated in Metering Assemblies Specifications (SI/90-156)

Short Title

1 These Specifications may be cited as the Electronic Registers and Ancillary Equipment Incorporated in Metering Assemblies Specifications.

Interpretation

• 2 (1) In these Specifications,

  metering assembly

  metering assembly means a device for use in trade for measuring liquids; (ensemble de mesurage)

  metering installation

  metering installation means a metering assembly and all equipment necessary for the operation of the metering assembly, and includes the piping, pump, valves and reservoir; (installation de mesurage)

  non-resettable register

  non-resettable register means a primary register that is intended for long-term use without being reset to zero; (enregistreur sans remise à zéro)

  register

  register means any register that incorporates electronic components in order to process signals that correspond to measured quantities; (enregistreur)

  registration

  registration means a displayed or printed value; (indication)

  Regulations

  Regulations means the Weights and Measures Regulations. (Règlement)

• (2) All other words and expressions used in these Specifications have the same meaning as in the Regulations.

Application

3 These Specifications apply in respect of registers and ancillary equipment that are intended for use with positive displacement meters for liquids.

Design, Composition and Construction

Pulsers for Use with Registers

4 A pulser shall be designed so that a register meets the applicable requirements of these Specifications when the tests described in sections 29 to 31 are carried out.

5 A register shall be equipped with a dual-channel pulser, or with two pulsers, that generates dual pulses corresponding to the liquid flow.

6 A pulser of a register designed to be used in a metering installation that does not incorporate a non-return check-valve shall generate pulses when a reverse flow of liquid occurs through the meter, and the pulse processing system shall distinguish pulses generated by reverse flow from those pulses generated by forward flow.

Pulse Processing Systems

7 A register shall detect false or missing pulses in the train of pulses from the pulser to the pulse processing system throughout the range of input frequencies over which the register is designed to be used.

8 Except as provided in section 9, any means of adjustment that is used for processing pulses in order to vary measurement results shall be sealable and located so as to be inaccessible without the removal of a portion of the exterior housing of the register.

9 Any means of adjustment that is accessible without the removal of a portion of the exterior housing of the register shall

• (a) have an adjustment range of not more than ±2 per cent of the volume of liquid to be delivered;

• (b) be sealable; and

• (c) not be adjustable while the register is operating.

10 A register may incorporate a means of adjustment that automatically selects a predetermined correction factor that corresponds to the rate of flow, in order to linearize the meter accuracy/flow rate performance curve, where

• (a) no factor can be adjusted to deviate from the adjacent factor by more than 0.25 per cent; and

• (b) the register is designed so that programmed correction factors are readily verifiable either by means of the display or printing of the programmed correction factors or by any other means, such as switch settings or jumper locations accompanied by suitable codes or legends.

• 11 (1) A pulse processing system of a register that is intended for use in a metering installation in which a reverse flow of liquid through the meter can occur shall, in the case of such a reverse flow of liquid, subtract from all registrations the quantity corresponding to the volume of the reverse flow of liquid.

• (2) Where the pulse processing system of a register does not comply with subsection (1), the system shall not be approved pursuant to section 3 of the Act unless the use of the system is restricted to metering installations in which a reverse flow of liquid cannot occur.

Controls and Interlocks

• 12 (1) A register, other than a non-resettable register, that incorporates an electronic display shall

  • (a) automatically supply electrical power to all display segments for at least 0.5 seconds and cut the power for at least 0.5 seconds after the register is reset to zero and before the next delivery is started, to allow an operator to detect any fault in a segment or in a circuit of the segment; or

  • (b) incorporate an automatic self-testing system that checks the operation of all display segments prior to starting a delivery and, where a fault is detected, prevents the delivery.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of secondary registers that display the same information as the primary register.

13 A register shall be designed so that the unit price cannot be changed while the register is computing the total price for a delivery.

14 A register shall be designed so that it automatically locks the register display and causes the liquid flow to stop where, during a delivery, false or missing pulses are detected that represent a quantity of liquid in excess of an amount that is the greater of

• (a) five times the applicable minimum increment of registration set out in section 20, and

• (b) one increment for every 1,000 increments registered during the delivery.

15 The quantity and, where applicable, the unit price and the total price shall remain displayed for at least five minutes after a delivery unless

• (a) the next transaction is initiated; or

• (b) the current transaction is finalized.

16 Where a metering assembly incorporates a selective means of adjustment that permits a meter to accurately measure different liquids, or permits the register to be used with different meters, the selection of the liquids or meters shall be interlocked so that

• (a) the adjustment selection corresponds to the liquid or meter selected; and

• (b) the unit price, where applicable, corresponds to the unit price of the liquid selected.

17 A metering assembly that can be used with more than one liquid or incorporates more than one meter shall be designed to prevent the selection mechanism from operating after the registration of a value equal to 10 times the applicable minimum increment of registration set out in section 20, except where the register of the metering assembly is automatically reset to zero following the selection.

18 A register that is intended for use with more than one meter or for more than one liquid shall be designed to incorporate a means to automatically prevent the delivery of more than one liquid at a time.

19 In order to mask the effect of hose expansion on the registrations of a register, displayed values may be suppressed in a register up to a value equal to three times the applicable minimum increment of registration set out in section 20.

Registrations

20 Every registration of a metering assembly, other than a registration of a non-resettable register, shall have at least the following number of digits and not more than the following value as minimum increment of registration:

• (a) four digits and 0.001 L or 0.0001 gallons, in the case of registers for use with meters designed for a maximum flow rate of 5 L or less per minute;

• (b) five digits and 0.001 L or 0.0001 gallons, in the case of registers for use with meters designed for a maximum flow rate of more than 5 L per minute but not more than 20 L per minute;

• (c) five digits and 0.01 L or 0.001 gallons, in the case of registers for use with meters designed for a maximum flow rate of more than 20 L per minute but not more than 115 L per minute;

• (d) five digits and 0.1 L or 0.01 gallons, in the case of registers for use with meters designed for a maximum flow rate of more than 115 L per minute but not more than 500 L per minute; and

• (e) five digits and 1.0 L or 0.1 gallons in the case of registers for use with meters designed for a maximum flow rate of more than 500 L per minute.

21 Every means of registration of the total price in a metering assembly shall have sufficient digits to enable the metering assembly to meet the requirements of section 28 when the metering assembly is adjusted to the highest unit price and registers the largest volume the register is capable of registering.

22 A non-resettable register that is intended for use with a meter such as a pipeline meter shall be designed so that no registration is repeated when the meter operates continuously at its maximum rated capacity for a period of 90 days.

23 A non-resettable register that operates from the main power supply and that is exposed to ambient temperatures within the operating range of the register shall, in the event of a power outage, continue to function for a period of at least

• (a) 24 hours, where a back-up power supply that automatically recharges on restoration of power is used; or

• (b) seven days, where any other type of back-up power supply is used.

• 24 (1) A non-resettable register that obtains its power supply from a power source that must periodically be replaced, such as a battery, shall indicate low power at least 90 days before power failure.

• (2) The replacement of a power source referred to in subsection (1) shall not alter programming and metering information nor impair the subsequent operation of the register.

25 A register, other than a non-resettable register, that operates from the main power supply shall, in the event of a power outage,

• (a) continue to operate in accordance with the applicable performance specifications for the period set out in section 23; or

• (b) retain programming and metering information for the period set out in section 23 and be capable, on demand, of displaying quantity and, where provided, unit price and total price, at any time up to 15 minutes after the power outage.

26 A register intended for use in a metering installation that measures the flow of liquid in the forward and reverse directions shall be designed to continuously indicate the direction of flow.

Printers

27 An electronic printer of a metering assembly, other than a cash register, shall, in addition to meeting the requirements set out in section 129 of the Regulations, provide a ticket that contains the following information:

• (a) the name and address of the trader;

• (b) the address at which the metering assembly is installed or the identification number of the vehicle on which the metering assembly is installed;

• (c) the identification number of the metering assembly, where more than one metering assembly is installed at the same location or on the same vehicle; and

• (d) the date of delivery of the liquid.

Performance

28 The total price computed by a metering assembly shall agree to the nearest cent with the product of the unit price displayed and the quantity delivered.

29 A register and all ancillary equipment shall remain within the applicable limits of error when tested under the following conditions:

• (a) an ambient temperature in the range of -30°C to +40°C, except that a register and all ancillary equipment that are designed for use in a temperature-controlled environment shall be tested over the range of ambient temperatures that is specified by the manufacturer and marked on the name-plate of the register; and

• (b) a relative humidity in the range of 10 to 95 per cent.

• 30 (1) A register and all ancillary equipment that operate from the main power supply shall remain within the applicable limits of error when tested with voltages from 90 to 110 per cent of the nominal voltage.

• (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), where a range of input voltages is specified by the manufacturer, the nominal voltage shall be the midpoint of the range.

31 The accuracy of registration and computation and general operation of a register and all ancillary equipment shall be unaffected when

• (a) for the purpose of determining susceptibility to conducted interference, the register and ancillary equipment that operate from the main power supply are tested with test spikes superimposed on the supply, each having the wave-form shown in the schedule, with a pulse repetition rate of 10 spikes per second for a period of 10 minutes; and

• (b) for the purpose of determining susceptibility to radiated interference, the register and ancillary equipment are scanned at a distance of 2 m with hand-held 4 W transceivers operating at frequencies of 27 MHz and 460 MHz.