Odorometer Portable Odorant Level Indicator

The Odorometer is a safeguard against explosion and the danger of people being overcome by gas. It insures that the Odorant level is sufficient to enable the gas to be detected by its distinctive smell (as specified in Department of Transportation Regulation 192.625). The smell does not necessarily indicate the degree of flammability, but it does warn of the presence of gas.

The Odorometer is used effectively by natural gas companies and companies involved in the manufacture of Liquid Petroleum Gases (LPG) as well as in (LPG) transportation, storage and distribution facilities.

The instrument provides a means for conveniently determining the odor intensity of a gas stream at any point in gas transmission and distribution lines. Small and lightweight, it is both faster and easier to use than the earlier room-test method. The standard range of testing is from one-twentieth of one percent to over one percent of gas in air, enabling the operator to check the accepted gas concentrations for the Odorant in natural gas, butane, and propane. It is powered by integral batteries.

Principle of Operation

Air flow to the Odorometer is constant and the gas-to-air mixture is regulated by the needle valve knob located in the center of the panel. The rate of gas flow reads out on the flowmeter on the right side of the panel. A glass float is provided for the range of 0.04% to 0.4%, and a stainless steel float is provided for the range of 0.1% to 1.2%. The calibration chart applies to gases with a density of 0.620 and a chart on the inside of the cover door shows the correction factors to be used for gases of other densities.

In Odorant concentration detection, the discharge of the Odorometer is sniffed at a distance of one inch from the top of the case at the funnel outlet. Opening the needle valve slowly, the operator carefully notes the first point on the flowmeter where odor is detected.