Agilent Technologies Flow Tracker 1000 Series Operation manual

Agilent Technologies
Agilent
Flow Tracker Series
1000/2000
User Information

2 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2000, 2002
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
any form or by any means (including elec-
tronic storage and retrieval or translation
into a foreign language) without prior agree-
ment and written consent from Agilent
Technologies, Inc. as governed by United
States and international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
5183-4773
Edition
Second edition, May 2002
First edition, August 2000
Printed in USA
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
2850 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19808-1610 USA
Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operat-
ing procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage
to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly per-
formed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated condi-
tions are fully understood and
met.

3
Agilent Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
User Information
Agilent Technologies
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
The Agilent Flow Tracker 1000 and 2000 Series Gas
Chromatography flowmeters are designed to provide useful
flow information in one simple, reliable, and portable
instrument. The Flow Tracker 1000 has two operating modes:
Flow Mode and Gas Chromatography (GC) Mode. The Flow
Tracker 2000 has an additional Leak Detector Mode and
incorporates a separate, built in sampling pump and probe.
For indoor use only. This product should not be used in
hazardous locations. This product is rated as Safety Class III,
Installation category II, and Pollution Degree 2. If this
equipment is used in a manner not specified, the protection
of the equipment may be impaired. Agilent Technologies
assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with
these requirements.
• Operating temperature range: 10—50°C.
• Operating humidity range: 0—90% RH (non-condensing).
• Maximum recommended altitude: 15,000 ft.
Electromagnetic compatibility
This device was tested and found to comply with the limits of
CISPR 11. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in an installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on. The user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and the
receiver.

4 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
Unauthorized modification or installation of this equipment
may invalidate the user’s ability to operate this equipment. This
ISM device complies with Canadian ICES-001. Cet appareil ISM
est conforme a la norme NMB-001 du Canada. This device is CE
marked for ISM Group 1, Class A equipment.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 5
Installation
The Agilent Flow Trackers have standard 1/8-inch NPT (female)
inlet and outlet fittings as shown in Figure 1. To prevent
possible clogging of the internal structure, it is recommended
that a 20-micron filter be installed upstream of the flowmeter.
The unit is packaged with simple plastic hose barbs for your
convenience, however any fitting that is appropriate for the
application can be substituted.
Figure 1 Connections
RS-232 plug
Leak sampling probe
(Flow Tracker 2000 only)
AC adapter plug
Exhaust
Flow
Sample exhaust
(Flow Tracker 2000 only)
Probe receptacle
RS-232 jack
P1 100 psi
≤

6 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Maximum operating line pressure is 100 PSIG (690 kPa). If
the line pressure is higher than 100 PSIG (690 kPa), a pressure
regulator must be used upstream from the flowmeter to reduce
the pressure to 100 PSIG (690 kPa) or less. Although the
flowmeter’s operation is uni-directional, reversing the flow
direction will inflict no damage as long as the maximum
specified limits are not exceeded. The differential pressure
sensor used in the Flow Tracker is a very sensitive device
capable of detecting minute differences in pressure.
Power/batteries
Power is supplied by six (6) standard AA size batteries or by an
optional AC/DC adapter (Part number 5183-4781). New
batteries can provide power for several days of continuous
operation depending on the quality of the batteries and whether
the leak-sampling pump in model 2000 is used. The power
adapter jack is located as shown in Figure 1. A P-5 style,
positive center, 6-15 VDC adapter rated for at least 100 mA is
required.
CAUTION When installing fittings into the NPT ports, do not exceed 12 ft-lbs of
torque.
NOTE Use of pipe dope and sealants on the NPT ports can permanently damage
the flowmeter if they get into the flow stream. If a thread sealing tape is
required, avoid wrapping the first thread or two to minimize the possibility
of getting a piece of shredded tape into the flow stream. Always clean any
tape out of the threads that may come loose and enter the flow stream
before changing fittings.
CAUTION Exceeding the maximum specified line pressure may cause permanent
damage to the solid-state differential pressure transducer. Avoid
installations, such as snap acting solenoid valves upstream that apply
instantaneous high pressure to the flowmeter as permanent damage
to the differential pressure sensor could result.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 7
Operation
Each operating mode displays all of the parameters and each
parameter has a button associated with it. The buttons for the
parameters that are common to all modes, GAS and MODE, are
labeled directly. The “dynamic parameters”, which are specific
to certain modes, are labeled on the display.
Dynamic parameters are either active or passive. Active
parameters are directly affected by the flow and are constantly
changing. Active parameters can be moved to the primary
display by pushing the button associated it. Passive parameters
are generally variables that require input from the user. The
passive parameters buttons are generally used to select the
value of the variable.
Basic operation
1ON—To turn the unit on, press and hold the ON button for
approximately a ½-second.
2ZERO—Pushing ZERO tares the flowmeter and provides it
with a reference point for zero flow. This is a very important
step in obtaining accurate measurements. It is good
practice to “zero” the flowmeter each time it is turned on. If
the flow reading varies significantly from zero after an initial
tare, give the unit a minute or so to warm up and re-zero it.
NOTE Should the unit fail to come on as expected, push the OFF button then
press and hold ON.
NOTE If possible, zero the unit near the expected operating pressure by
positively blocking the flow downstream of the flowmeter prior to pushing
the ZERO button. Zeroing the unit while there is any flow will directly
affect the accuracy by providing a false zero point. If in doubt about
whether the flow is positively blocked, remove it from the line and
positively block both ports before pressing the ZERO button.

8 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
3GAS—Pushing GAS scrolls through the gas list. The default
gas is air. The selected gas appears on the display under the
GAS button.
4MODE—Push MODE to switch between operating modes.
There are two operating modes (Flow and GC) in the
1000 Series flowmeters and three operating modes (Flow,
GC, and Leak) in the 2000 Series flowmeters. The default
operating mode is Flow.
5OFF—Push OFF to turn the unit power off from any operating
mode.
Low battery indicator The low battery (LO BAT) indicator
appears in the lower right corner of the display window (just
above the mode indicator) if the batteries run below a certain
voltage level.
RS-232 Output The Flow Tracker Series flowmeters are
equipped with a serial RS-232 output that toggles with the
selected operating mode. All parameters in the selected mode
are output in space-delimited format for data collection and
analysis. No special software is required; any terminal program,
such as HyperTerminal®, which comes packaged with all
NOTE It is very important that the gas being measured is selected to get an
accurate flow rate measurement.
CAUTION To avoid inaccurate readings, change the batteries when the LO BAT
indicator is displayed. Low power can result in inflated temperature
sensor readings, which affect the expected gas viscosity and mass
flow calculations.
NOTE The auto-off feature automatically shuts the flowmeter off after
approximately 5 minutes of continuous no flow (less than 4 mL/min)
condition. This applies only under battery power. The auto-off feature is
disabled when power is supplied via an AC to DC adapter.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 9
Microsoft®Windows®operating systems will suffice. The 8-pin
Mini-DIN data output jack for RS-232 output is located as shown
in Figure 1. The included data cable plugs into this jack with the
flat on the cable plug towards the back of the flowmeter. If the
serial port on your computer is female, the flowmeter can
simply be plugged into your serial port via the 8-pin Mini-DIN to
DB-9 serial adapter cable included with the Flow Tracker. If the
serial port on your computer is male, a common double ended
female adapter cable is needed. For details on data collection
using the RS-232 output, go to the gas management section at
www.agilent.com/chem/supplies.

10 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow mode
Figure 2 shows the parameters associated with flow mode.
Parameters
Gas absolute pressure The Agilent Flow Trackers use a sensor
to measure the line pressure of the gas flow being monitored.
This sensor references hard vacuum and accurately reads line
pressure both above and below local atmospheric pressure. The
Figure 2 Flow mode parameter buttons
Low-battery
indicator
Gas select
Mode
Power off
Zero (tare)
Gas temperature
Gas absolute pressure
Primary display
(default is
mass flow rate)
Volumetric flow rate
Mass flow rate
Power on
(press and hold)

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 11
engineering unit associated with absolute pressure is pounds
per square inch absolute (PSIA). For working in metric units,
1 PSI = 6.89 kPa.
Gas temperature The Agilent Flow Trackers use a sensor to
measure the line temperature of the monitored gas flow. The
temperature is displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).
Volumetric flow rate The engineering unit associated with the
volumetric flow rate is milliliters per minute (mL/min). To
achieve an accurate volumetric flow rate, select the gas to be
measured by pressing the gas select button. Anything that has
an effect on gas viscosity (e.g., water vapor, odorant additives,
etc.) will have a direct proportional effect on the accuracy.
Absolute viscosity fluctuates only slightly with pressure,
therefore a true volumetric reading does not require a
correction for pressure.
Mass flow rate The mass flow rate is the volumetric flow rate
corrected to a standard pressure and temperature (14.695 psia
and 25°C). Mass flow rate is measured in standard milliliters
per minute (SmL/min).
NOTE Changes in gas temperature affect viscosity and are automatically
compensated. No outside temperature correction is required for
volumetric measurement.

12 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
GC mode
Figure 3 shows the parameters associated with GC mode.
Figure 3 GC mode parameter buttons
Low-battery
indicator
Gas select
Mode
Power off
Zero (tare)
Capillary diameter
Linear velocity
Primary display
(default is linear
velocity)
Split ratio
Reference flow
Power on
(press and hold)

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 13
Parameters
Linear velocity The Agilent Flow Trackers use the volumetric
flow rate and the selected capillary diameter (inside diameter)
to calculate the average velocity of the selected gas through the
capillary. Linear velocity is measured in centimeters per second
(cm/sec).
Capillary diameter The capillary diameter function scrolls
through the list of available capillary diameters in mm. The
capillary inside diameters are 0.10 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.25 mm,
0.32 mm, 0.53 mm, and 0.75 mm.
Reference flow The reference flow function allows the user to
store a volumetric flow rate in memory and has default of zero.
Push the reference flow button to store the current volumetric
flow rate in memory. The fixed value will be displayed above the
label in milliliters per minute (mL/min).
Split ratio The split ratio is the ratio of the present volumetric
flow rate to the stored reference flow rate. This parameter
reads:
•“DIVO” (Division by Zero Error) until a value is stored in the
reference flow buffer (see Reference flow above), or
•“OVRFLO” (overflow) if the resulting ratio is too large to
display. The maximum value that can display here is 655.35.
This can occur if the stored reference flow is very near zero
and/or the present flow is high.
NOTE In gas chromatography, this is normally used to store the main column
flow rate prior to attaching the flowmeter to the split vent, so that a
running split ratio can be calculated and displayed.
NOTE When the power is turned off, the stored reference flow returns to the
default zero.

14 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
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NOTE In gas chromatography, the reference flow rate is normally the main
column flow rate, and the present flow rate is normally the split vent flow
rate.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 15
Leak mode (Flow Tracker 2000 only)
Figure 4 shows the parameters associated with leak mode. Leak
mode is only available with the Flow Tracker 2000.
Figure 4 Leak mode parameter buttons
Leak sampling probe
Thermal conductivity
Leak rate
Primary display
(default is leak rate)
Relative conductivity
Power on
Gas select
Low-battery indicator
Mode
Zero (tare)
Power off
Sound on/off

16 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
The Agilent Flow Tracker 2000 GC flowmeters use thermal
conductivity properties of gases to detect leaks. Generally, only
gases with thermal conductivities that are substantially
different from air can be detected by this method. See Table 1
for the absolute thermal conductivities (at 80 °F, 26.7 °C) of the
gases that are selectable in the Flow Tracker 2000.
Leak detector operating steps
1Insert the suction probe into the probe receptacle on the top
of the unit (see Figure 1).
2Turn on the unit enter “Leak” mode by pressing the MODE
button three times. Allow the detector to warm up until the
“Warm Up” indicator in the display disappears
(approximately 7—8 minutes). The suction pump will power
Table 1 Absolute thermal conductivities of selectable gases
Gas Absolute thermal conductivity
cal/(sec)(cm2)(°C/cm) x 10-6
Detectable Temp
Air 62.20 No 80 °F, 26.7 °C
Nitrogen 62.40 No 80 °F, 26.7 °C
Carbon dioxide 39.67 Yes 80 °F, 26.7 °C
Methane*
* These gases are technically detectable, however, this device is not rated for
use in hazardous areas.
81.83 * 80 °F, 26.7 °C
Hydrogen*433.92 * 80 °F, 26.7 °C
95-5
Argon-Methane
Yes 80 °F, 26.7 °C
Helium 360.36 Yes 80 °F, 26.7 °C
NOTE A length of inert tubing can be substituted for the included sampling
probe.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 17
up (usually heard as a faint squeaking sound) when the
device is ready to make gross leak measurements.
3Ensure that the device is well away from the suspected leak
area. Press ZERO.
4Select the gas to be detected.
5When a satisfactory zero is obtained, move the end of the
suction probe to the point of the suspected leak. Allow a few
seconds for the sample to reach the sensors.
Parameters and functions
Leak rate Leak rate is measured in cubic centimeters per
second (cc/sec).
Thermal conductivity The thermal conductivity of a gas is a
measure of its ability to conduct heat. Thermal conductivity is
measured as value x 10+6 (cal/(sec)(cm2)(°C/cm)).
Relative conductivity indicator The relative conductivity
indicator is a dimensionless value reflecting the raw sensor
measurement of the difference in temperature between the
heated and unheated sensors.
NOTE If desired, the sound can be toggled on at this point. Normal, no leakage
conditions are indicated by slow intermittent ticks. As the conductivity
varies from that of air when leaks are detected, the tick frequency and
pitch become proportionately higher.
NOTE It is good practice to allow the detector to purge away from the suspected
leak for 1—2 minutes between leak detections.

18 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Sound on/off toggle The sound can be toggled on and off by
pushing the button located under the dynamic label. The default
is off.
NOTE If the unit is completely warmed up and zeroed in air, the relative
conductivity indicator will read approximately zero until a leak is detected.
If a gas with a greater conductivity than air is introduced, increased
current will be required and the relative (Rel.) reading will increase
positively and vice versa.

Flow Tracker Series 1000/2000
Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information 19
Maintenance and Recalibration
The Flow Tracker requires minimal maintenance. With the
exception of the sampling pump in the 2000 Series, the Flow
Tracker has no moving parts. The single most important thing
that affects the life and accuracy of this device is the quality of
the gas being measured. The instrument is designed to measure
clean, dry, non-corrosive gases. Filtering the gas upstream of
the flowmeter is highly recommended. Moisture, oil, and other
contaminates can affect the laminar flow elements and/or
reduce the area that is used to calculate the flow rate. This
directly affects the accuracy.
Cleaning
The Flow Tracker requires no periodic cleaning. If required, the
outside of the flowmeter can be cleaned with a soft dry rag.
Avoid excess moisture or solvents.
Replacing the batteries
To replace old or worn batteries:
1Remove the flexible boot from the flowmeter housing.
2Remove the three screws from the back cover.
3Carefully remove the back cover to expose batteries.
4Carefully remove old batteries.
5Install new batteries as shown on the back cover.
6Replace back cover and re-install screws.
7Replace the flexible boot, pushing the bottom end of the
flowmeter into the boot first.

20 Flow Tracker 1000/2000 User Information
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Recalibration
The recommended period for recalibration is 2 years or less,
although the calibration interval can be shortened to meet
individual requirements. This interval is acceptable providing
that CLEAN, DRY, and NON–CORROSIVE gases are used. A
label located on the back of the flowmeter (under the flexible
cover) lists the recalibration due date before which a
recalibration should be performed.
For repairs and re–calibrations, locate the serial number on the
back of the unit and visit the Agilent web site for instructions
on where to send your flowmeter.