Presenter: Bongani Ndlovu

The uncertainty evaluation for the Date: 09/10/2018

hydrometer calibration at NMISA
A HYDROMETER

• Thin graduated hollow tube

• Weighted at bottom end to
make it float upright

• USED
• To measure specific gravity,
concentration, density of liquids
500 – 2000 kg/m^3
 HOW IT IS USED

• Floats in a liquid
• Liquid density is
where
• Liquid level aligns with
the scale
• e.g., Beer
concentration

• http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age11-14/Matter/text/Hydrometers_/index.html

• https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0d342_7e2a75815d5b4b1a809e99475a547ae1~mv2.jpg_256
NEED FOR HYDROMETER CALIBRATION

• Over time, small drifts in scale occur due to

• Mechanical stress
• Abrasion
• Ageing process of glass
• Calibrate the hydrometer to quantify these small drifts
• Calibration gives the corrections of the drifts in the scale
• At NMISA, hydrometers are calibrated on the hydrometer
system using Cuckow’s method
 HYDROMETER SYSTEM AT NMISA

• Consists of 200 g balance with 0,01 mg readability,

• Tamson TV7000 thermostat, CCD camera,
• Computer with software, visualization screen
 SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

• Thermostatic bath
• Inner vessel: Distilled water (reference liquid)…. 3 T sensors
• Liquid temperature maintained at ≈20 °C
 CUCKOW’S METHOD

• Based on hydrostatic
weighing
• Hydrometer is weighed
in air and then in a
reference liquid
• Scale to be calibrated is
aligned to the liquid
level and the reference
liquid density is
determined at that point

• Wright JD, Bean VE and Aguilera J, 2010. NIST calibration services

for hydrometers. NIST Special Publication, 250, 78.
 MEASUREMENTS
• Measure:
• Stem diameter of hydrometer using
a Vernier calliper
• Surface tension of the ref liquid
using tensiometer

• Hydrometer weighed in air:

• Measure m, air T, RH, P
• In the reference liquid:
Alignment: CCD camera magnified
image
• Measure m, air T, RH, P
• Liquid T
 CUCKOW’S MODEL

CORRECTION:
• 𝑐 = 𝜌𝑥 − 𝜌𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒
• where 𝜌𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 is the scale mark to be calibrated
S Lorefice et al. Measurement Sc. & tech., 17(10), 2006, 2560
 UNCERTAINTY BUDGET
• Depends on several factors including
• Equipment used
• Reference liquid
• Mathematical model (Cuckow’s equation)
• Uncertainty calculations are based on the GUM,
2008
 HYDROMETER MASS
• Mass in air
• Mass in liquid
• Depend on the reference mass uncertainty and
balance properties

Uncertainty
Ref. mass std. Repeatability Resolution Linearity
contribution
uncertainty (g) (g) (g) (g)
(g)
M_a 0,000017 0,0002 0,0001 -8E-06 2,24E-04
M_L 0,000020 0,00002 0,00001 -3E-05 4,24E-05
 ADDITIONAL RING WEIGHTS
• In case of distilled water (ρ ≈ 1 g/ml)
• Hydrometer floats when its density range < 1 g/ml
• Requires additional ring weight
• Inner diameter almost equal to the stem diameter
• Weigh the ring weight in the reference liquid
 AIR DENSITY
• Use the CIPM2007 equation
• Uncertainty depends on the measuring equipment
and the equation
• 𝑢 𝑇 , 𝑢𝑅𝐻 , 𝑢𝑃 and 𝑢𝑒𝑞𝑛

Standard Uncertainty
Variable Symbol Unit Value
Uncertainty contribution
Air temperature T_a °C 20,70 0,02 -1,13E-03
Air pressure p hPa 875,82 0,06 6,21E-10
Relative humidity rh %rh 38,5 1,3 -1,21E-05
Equation 2,28E-08
Air density unc. (g/ml) 1,13E-06

• A Picard et al., Metrologia 45 (2008) 149–155

 WATER DENSITY
• Use the Tanaka formula
• Density based on SMOW at 1 atm (see level)

• 𝑎5 = 999,972 kg/m^3 assumed for tap water

• Apply compressibility correction factor
Uncert.
Variable Symbol Units Value Uncert. S_i Contribution
Water temp T_L °C 19,9815 0,06 -0,000206 -1,238E-05
Air pressure p hPa 875,822 0,06 4,58E-10 2,748E-11
Equation g/ml 4,5E-07 1 4,5E-07
Water density unc (g/ml) 1,238E-05

• M Tanaka et al. Metrologia, 2001, 38, 301-309

 LOCAL GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION

• Gravitational acceleration
• 𝑢𝑔 = 𝑢 of g in the lab
• Gravitational acceleration gradient (Δg) due to height (ℎ)
difference
• hydrometer in liquid and balance on top
• 𝑢Δ𝑔 = Δg ∗ ℎ
 OTHER CONTRIBUTORS:
IN CUCKOW’S MODEL
• Density of reference mass standard
• 𝑢ρ 𝑠𝑡𝑑 = 𝑢 from density certificate
• Hydrometer stem diameter
• 𝑢𝐷 = 𝑢 of Vernier calliper
• Surface tension of the reference liquid
• 𝑢γ = 𝑢 of the tensiometer
• Liquid temperature during measurement
• 𝑢 𝑇 = 𝑢 of the thermometer
• Thermal expansion coefficient β (glass) of the hydrometer
• 𝑢β = 10% β
 ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
• Scale alignment to the liquid level
• The scale alignment is magnified by CCD camera
1
• 𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛 = (ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)
10

• Repeatability of the measurement

• 𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡 = 𝐸𝑆𝐷𝑀
THE UNCERTAINTY BUDGET
 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION
1,20E-04

1,00E-04

8,00E-05
ρ_x (g/ml)

6,00E-05

4,00E-05

2,00E-05

0,00E+00
M_a M_L m_r ρ_s γ_x γ_L D g ρ_L ρ_a T_L β S R
 CONCLUSIONS
• The uncertainty evaluation for hydrometer calibration
at NMISA has been presented
• The biggest uncertainty contribution came from the
surface tension of the reference liquid
• The uncertainty for the hydrometer calibration can be
reduced drastically by using a more suitable (low
density, low surface tension) reference liquid
(hydrocarbons e.g., tridecane, nonane) than distilled
water
I THANK YOU