Mandatory Calibration and Tests for SmokeStack Testing Equipment (Malaysian Standard MS 1596 and MS 1723)

What to calibrate

Frequency

Calibrated Against

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6g
• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommend to use Critical Orifices

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6 (c) and (g), and last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommend to use Bell Gas Provers 

Click here (or scan QR Code below) to view Aer Sampling's traceable calibration service for Critical Orifices

3. Temperature Sensor, inside the Meter Console

Need to calibrate every thermocouple connected to Temperature Sensor too (via all the thermocouple plugs and sockets)

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommend to use Thermocouple Simulators

4. Thermocouple Simulator

Used to calibrate the Temperature Sensor

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

5. Field Balance

Used for weighing contents of impingers

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6b, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

6. Analytical Balance

Used to measure weight of filter papers (MS 1596:2003: "particle separator")

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6b, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

7. Flow rate measuring devices

• Orifice Plate (Orifice Tube, Orifice Meter)
• Used as a guide to adjust the pump valves, to vary velocity of gas entering sampling nozzles
• Usually done together with Dry Gas Meter (DGM) calibration, refer to DGM section below
• Location
• Method i: Downstream of DGM
• Method ii: Downstream of Particle Separator (Filter holder)
• Rotameters (If in use)

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6c, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended to use Critical Orifices, refer to section below

 8. Manometers and Pressure Gages

Used to measure differential pressure head "Delta P" of flue gas inside smokestack, which is then used to calculate velocity

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6c, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

9. Calipers 

This is used to test S-type Pitot Tubes construction specifications (lengths and widths), to avoid having to calibrate the S-type Pitot Tubes.

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix D

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

10. Angle Indicator or Inclinometer, with Bull's Eye Level

These are used to test S-type Pitot Tubes construction specifications (angles), to avoid having to calibrate.

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix D

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

11. Profile Projector "Optical Comparator", or Microscope with image analysis software, or equivalent

This is used to test S-type Pitot Tubes construction specifications; dimension L1 and L2 of MS 1596:2003, Figure D1.

Refer to:

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

12. Flue Gas Analyzers

• Wet-Chemistry Type (Orsat, Fyrite)
• Instrumental Type (NDIR, electrochemical etc.)

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6 (f)

Not mentioned (but usually calibration gases of specified and traceable purity) 

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended standards:

• US EPA Method 3
• US EPA Method 3a, 7e
• ISO 10849
• ISO 7935

Used to countdown to sampling at the next traverse points inside the smokestack

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6 (h), last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Used to test entry diameter of Sampling Nozzles, which are used to determine flow rate etc.

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.3, and Section 14.g.iii.
• MS 1596:2003, Table 1
• dn1: Inner nozzle diameter
• dn2: Outer nozzle diameter
• MS 1596:2003, Figure 2 and Figure 3 (Suction Nozzle Diameter XIII)

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

15. Other Analytical Instruments

Not mentioned in MS 1596:2003 and MS 1723:2003, because these Standards are for "dust" only

Some examples:

• High Resolution Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (HRGS/HRMS)
• Ion Chromatograph (IC)
• Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS)
• Etc.

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

16. Rod to measure internal diameter of smokestack

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Table 3, Part number 27

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

 What to test/verify

Frequency

Test Using

1. Leak Check: Pitot Line

The "Pitot Line" consist of three items: Pitot Tubes, Pitot Tube connections (Umbilical Cable), Manometers or Pressure Gages (inside Meter Console)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.2, paragraph 2
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C, Section C2, paragraph 4

Before sampling starts (after equipment assembled)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.2, paragraph 2

--

After each period of use (each stack test)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C, Section C1, last paragraph
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C, Section C2, paragraph 4

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommend to use Manometers or Pressure Gages, both in meter console

From the Suction Nozzle to the pump valves and fittings, and Dry Gas Meter (DGM) inside the Meter Console

Leak rate shall be less than 1% of the volumetric flow rate at a vacuum of at least 50 kPa (14.765 inHg)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.2, paragraph 4

Before start of sampling (after assembling entire sampling train, from the nozzle to meter console)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.2, paragraph 3, 5

Recommend to check for leaks after the sampling too

From the Sampled Gas inlet to the pump valves and fittings inside the Meter Console

When necessary (This is part of the sampling gas line train leak check, but just for the meter console)

Dry Gas Meter (DGM), which is inside the Meter Console

Recommend to use procedures in US EPA Method 5

From the pump valves and fittings to the Orifice Meter (downstream after the DGM)

Manometers or Pressure Gages); Analog or Digital), which are inside the Meter Console

Recommend to use procedures in US EPA Method 5

5. Suction Nozzle - Entry wall thickness

If the wall thickness at the mouth of the Nozzle is too thick, the diameter of the nozzle is calculated using a specified formula.

Refer to: 

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.3, paragraph 2, and Figure 5

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Before each use, to test if nozzle still in original shape, given the importance of the nozzle in determining isokinetic velocity

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.3, Figure 5
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix A, Section A4

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Vernier Calipers

6. Suction Nozzle - Diameter "Size"

The diameter of the sampling nozzle where the flue gas enters the nozzle. This directly impacts the isokinetic rate calculations.

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.3, paragraph 3, and Note 2
• MS 1596:2003, Section 14.g.iii.

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Before each use, to test if nozzle size is still valid, and not dented or damaged in any way, because you would have to select the correct nozzle size to sample isokinetically

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.2, paragraph 5
• MS 1596:2003, Section 10.2, paragraph 2
• MS 1596:2003, Section 10.4.1, paragraph 7

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Internal Diameter Micrometers

7. S-Type Pitot Tube -  as part of a Combination Probe

Combination Probes are probes where the suction nozzle, S-type pitot tubes, and temperature sensor are combined for sampling.

Construction dimensions to test and assign S-type Pitot Tube Calibration Factor ("Coefficient", "Calibration Constant") of 0.84. If failed any tests below, replace or repair pitot tube, or calibrate using Wind Tunnel (together with the Combination Probe), per MS 1596:2003 Appendix D. For clearer procedures, we recommend using procedures in US EPA Method 2, Section 10.1 and 10.1.1.

MS 1596:2003 Appendix D (Refer to ISO 10780 for more details):

• Angles
• Figure D1a): Transverse Tube Axis must be perpendicular to the Face opening planes (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1a): Face opening plane must be parallel to one another (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1b): A-side plane and B-side plane must be parallel to the Longitudinal Tube Axis (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1c): The pitot tube must look like this in this view. The back leg cannot exceed the dimension of the front leg on any sides (i.e., Zero degrees variation on all sides)
• Refer to US EPA Method 2, Figure 2-3 for the clearest diagrams on this
• Lengths and Widths
• Paragraph 1 and Figure D1b): L1 = L2
• Paragraph 1: L1 or L2 must be between 1.05 and 10 times the external diameter of the tubing
• Figure D2: Distance between opening of Impact Orifice (of Pitot Tube) and Nozzle Entry Plane must be sufficiently far apart
• MS 1596:2003, Section 10.2, paragraph 5
• Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 assessors for definition of "sufficiently far apart"
• Figure D2: Dimension X > 19 mm (between S-type Pitot Tube and 13 mm diameter nozzle)
• Figure D3: Dimension X > 75 mm 
• Figure D3: Dimension X > 19 mm (between thermocouple and S-type Pitot Tube)
• Figure D3: Dimension X > 50 mm

After use at each field site

Refer to: 

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix E, paragraph 3
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C, Section C1, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended to use:

• Calipers
• Angle Indicators or Inclinometers
• Profile Projectors or equivalent etc. (For L1 = L2 test only)

8. S-Type Pitot Tube -  Without Probe

Pitot Tubes by itself, without nozzles, thermocouple etc.

Construction dimensions to test and assign S-type Pitot Tube Calibration Factor ("Coefficient", "Calibration Constant") of 0.84. If failed any tests below, replace or repair pitot tube, or calibrate using Wind Tunnel, per MS 1596:2003 Appendix D. For clearer procedures, we recommend using procedures in US EPA Method 2, Section 10.1 and 10.1.1.

MS 1596:2003 Appendix D (Refer to ISO 10780 for more details)

• Angles
• Figure D1a): Transverse Tube Axis must be perpendicular to the Face opening planes (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1a): Face opening plane must be parallel to one another (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1b): A-side plane and B-side plane must be parallel to the Longitudinal Tube Axis (i.e., Zero degrees variation)
• Figure D1c): The pitot tube must look like this in this view. The back leg cannot exceed the dimension of the front leg on any sides (i.e., Zero degrees variation on all sides)
• Refer to US EPA Method 2, Figure 2-3 for the clearest diagrams on this
• Lengths and Widths
• Paragraph 1 and Figure D1b): L1 = L2
• Paragraph 1: L1 or L2 must be between 1.05 and 10 times the external diameter of the tubing

After use at each field site

Refer to: 

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix E, paragraph 3
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C, Section C1, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended to use:

• Calipers
• Angle Indicators or Inclinometers
• Profile Projectors or equivalent etc. (For L1 = L2 test only)

 What to Calibrate

Frequency

Calibrated Against

1. Barometer

Used to measure barometric pressure, which is used in isokinetic rate calculations

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Minimum once a year

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 7.6, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors

Recommended: Mercury Barometer

If failed tests on constructions specifications, a calibration in a Wind Tunnel against a Standard (L-type) Pitot Tube (MS 1596:2003: "Standard Pitot Static Tube"), is required.

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix D and E

Prior to use

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Section 9.1, paragraph 4
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix E

--- 

After use at each field site (if it fails construction specification tests)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix D, paragraph 2, and Figure D1, D2, D3
• MS 1596:2003, Appendix E, paragraph 1 and 3

---

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6e, last paragraph

Standard (L-type) Pitot Tube in a Wind Tunnel

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix E, paragraph 1 to 5

3. Pitot Tubes (Standard; L-type)

Other names:

• MS 1596:2003, Appendix C
• "Standard Pitot Static Tube"
• "Pitot Static Tube"
• ISO 10780:1994(E)
• Prandtl Pitot tube

Once a year (minimum)

Refer to:

• MS 1596:2003 Section 7.6e, last paragraph

Not mentioned

Refer to Jabatan Alam Sekitar or ISO/IEC 17025 Technical Assessors