Attachment_C_-_BAR_Specifications.docx

Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Automotive Repair and Airgas USA – 1-20-68-01A

ATTACHMENT C

BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR

SPECIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATION

PROCEDURES

FOR

CALIBRATION AND AUDIT GASES

Used in the California Emissions I/M Program

January 2012

REVISIONS TO SPECIFICATION

SPECIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES

FOR

CALIBRATION AND AUDIT GASES

Used in the California Emissions I/M Program June 1997

SECTION 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 SCOPE

This document specifies

1- the requirements for the calibration and audit gases used in the State of California's Emissions Inspection/Maintenance Programs;

2- the requirements for the containers for these gases;

3- the requirements and procedures for certifying and labeling the gases and containers;

4- the requirements and procedures for becoming a certified gas blender.

This document supersedes all prior BAR gas blender specifications: it covers all gas blend and gas blender requirements, from BAR-74 through BAR-97.

1.2 DEFINITIONS

ANALYTICAL (CERTIFIED) ACCURACY: The relative percent deviation of the stated concentration of the components of a gas blend from the "true" value as determined by comparison with the appropriate California BAR Master Standard or SRMs/CRMs/NTRMs.

ASM: Acceleration Simulation Mode―steady-state loaded-mode emissions tests that measure a vehicle's emissions while driving at a constant speed and a constant load on a dynamometer.

ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

AUDIT GAS BLENDS: Reference gas standards having direct analytical traceability to NIST SRMs/CRMs/NTRMs or BAR Master Standards, used by the bureau's field personnel and/or those of the State of California’s contractors authorized to perform field audits.

AUTHORIZED GAS DISTRIBUTOR: A company authorized by a Certified Gas Blender to distribute (in approved cylinders) the blender's certified gas blends.

BLEND TOLERANCE: Maximum allowable value of

(actual concentration - desired concentration) X 100 desired concentration of the components of a gas blend, where the desired concentration is the concentration specified in §2.2 of this document.

CALIBRATION GAS: A blend of pure (see PURITY OF GAS COMPONENTS, below) propane (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), with nitrogen (N2) as the balance or carrier gas, which is used to calibrate or adjust automotive exhaust emissions analyzers. Nitric oxide (NO), with nitrogen (N2) as the balance or carrier gas, is specified as either an additional component or as a separate blend. Zero air is considered a calibration gas.

CALIFORNIA BAR MASTER STANDARD: A primary standard gas blend established by the bureau, directly traceable to and named by NIST.

CERTIFIED GAS BLENDER: A blender of precision gases approved by the Bureau of Automotive Repair capable of providing consistently high quality gas blends meeting or exceeding the requirements of this standard. Note: If a gas blender has more than one facility for blending gases, each facility receives its own BAR certification, not the company as a whole. The facility that blends the gases must also fill the cylinders. Regardless of whose name a gas blend is sold under, the name of the facility that blended the gas must appear on the BAR label.

CGA: Compressed Gas Association

CRM: Certified Reference Material

DCA/BAR OR BUREAU: California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Automotive Repair, 10949 North Mather Blvd., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

DISPOSABLE CYLINDERS: Single-use, low-pressure cylinders. See §2.5.2 for specifications.

DOT: Department of Transportation (federal)

HIGH-PRESSURE CYLINDERS: Refillable, reusable cylinders. See §2.5.3 for specifications.

NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards)

NIST-TRACEABLE: A gas or gas blend which has been named using scientifically appropriate protocol involving standards obtained from NIST.

NTRM: NIST-Traceable Reference Material. (Gases which meet the requirements of NIST Special Publication 260-126.)

PURITY OF GAS COMPONENTS: For the purposes of this I/M program, the minimum purity levels of the individual components of the gas blends are defined as:

NOTE: Some non-I/M industries require that C13 be stripped from their gases. IT IS ESSENTIAL that gas blends meeting this specification use components in the blending process from which the C13 has NOT been stripped.[footnoteRef:1] [1: This is because the design of the NDIR analyzers used in I/M programs measure CO2 at the C13 wavelength, since the IR absorption at the C12 wavelength is too great.]

REFILLABLE CYLINDERS: In this document, used synonymously with high-pressure cylinders. See §2.5.3 for specifications.

SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers

SRM: Standard Reference Material (from NIST)

SECTION 2

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 GENERAL

This section describes the gas blends required by the California I/M program, the specifications for these blends, and the cylinders to be used.

2.2 APPLICABLE GAS BLENDS

This standard applies to the following gas blends. Coverage of this standard may be expanded to other gas blends at a future date.

2.2.1 BAR-90ET & Earlier Calibration Span Gases

2.2.2 BAR-90ET and Earlier Audit Gas Blends

2.2.3 BAR-97 Calibration Gases

2.2.4 BAR‑97 Audit Gases

2.2.5 Other BAR-97 Audit Gas Blends

2.2.6 Nitric Oxide (NO)

The NO may be provided in a cylinder separate from the HC, CO, and CO2. If the blender should choose to add NO to the mixture of HC, CO, CO2, & N2, a minimum of one year's stability data for the blend must be provided to the bureau for its evaluation before the blend will be certified.

2.3 GAS BLEND TOLERANCE AND ACCURACY

Section 1.2 contains the definitions of blend tolerance and analytical accuracy. The following paragraphs define the allowable limits.

BAR-74, -80, -84, -90ET Blend Tolerance: Zero blend tolerance.

BAR-97 Blend Tolerance: +2% blend tolerance for both audit and calibration (span) gases.

BAR-74, -80 -84, -90ET Analytical Accuracy: Naming error shall not exceed +2% of nominal value for calibration span gases; +1% of nominal value for audit gas blends.

BAR-97 Analytical Accuracy: Naming error shall not exceed +1% of label value for calibration span gases; +1% of label value for audit gas blends.

2.4 REFERENCE STANDARDS

Upon initial certification and as required thereafter, the gas blender shall prepare at least one cylinder of each blend listed in §2.2. that it plans to sell in California's I/M program. The gas blender shall submit them to a bureau-approved laboratory for naming against the California BAR Master Standard gases or against NIST SRMs/CRMs/NTRMs if a BAR Master Standard is not available for the particular blend. These named cylinders shall be used by the blender's facility as its reference standards for analyzing the production calibration span gases.

In addition, the gas blender shall own and maintain at its certified facility a full complement of NIST SRMs, CRMs and NTRMs for performing other analytical work pertinent to its operations.

2.5 CYLINDERS

2.5.1 Cylinder Type and Usage

The information in this paragraph is for the blender's information only; no action is required on the part of the blender.

Cylinders containing the zero and calibration gas blends for use on the emissions analyzers by the end user must be bureau-approved, of the nonrefillable, disposable, low pressure design.

High-pressure refillable cylinders may be used by Test-Only facility contractors, representatives of the bureau or certain of the bureau's other contractors, as well as at the service facilities of the individual emissions analyzer manufacturers or their distributors. Other uses of high-pressure cylinders must receive prior approval of the bureau.

Zero air is an exception to this limitation. It may be provided in either disposable or high-pressure refillable cylinders (as well as via BAR-approved zero air generators).

2.5.2 Disposable Cylinders

a. Disposable cylinders shall be made in accordance with DOT Specification 39 (CFR 49, 178.65, Specification 39) for nonrefillable, disposable cylinders (260 psig service pressure, 325 psig test pressure, 650 psig minimum burst pressure).

b. Nominal size shall not exceed 750 cubic inches +5% (approximately 9 inches inside diameter by 16 inches high overall, providing an equivalent water capacity of 27 pounds). As a minimum, cylinders shall contain 3.75 cubic feet of gas blend at 260 psig cylinder pressure.

c. Cylinders shall be designed with an integral stand so that, if stored in an upright position, the cylinder will not fall over during routine handling. Dimpled bases are not acceptable as integral stands.

d. The cylinder shutoff valve outlet shall be CGA 165, 1/4-in. SAE flare, 45o, male. All shutoff valves shall be of the non-refillable type.

e. Each cylinder shall be equipped with a safety relief device in accordance with DOT regulations [CFR 49, 173.34(d)]. The safety relief device used must comply with the requirements of CGA Pamphlet S-1.1, 7th Ed. (1989).

f. Each cylinder shall be equipped with a safety shield that adequately protects the shutoff valve.

g. No metal, plastic, elastomer, weld flux, antiseize compound, valve lubricant, paint, or other material shall be used in cylinder fabrication or assembly, or in cylinder charging equipment, which is incompatible with the gas blend or could cause contamination or degradation to it.

h. All cylinders shall be thoroughly cleaned, dried and passivated in such a manner that the contained blend can meet the stability requirements of this document (see §2.6).

i. All cylinders must comply with the applicable portions of the Federal and California DOT, OSHA, and California Division of Industrial Safety requirements, and must be approved by the bureau in this regard.

j. Blenders must comply with the applicable portions of the Federal DOT specifications for shipping cylinders.

2.5.3 High-Pressure Refillable Cylinders

a. Refillable cylinders must be aluminum, made in accordance with DOT Specifications 3AL2015 or 3AL2216, whichever is applicable (ref: CFR 49, 178.46, Specification 3AL). ZERO AIR ONLY: May also be supplied in steel cylinders made in accordance with DOT Specifications 3AA2015, 3AA2265, and 3AA2400, and shall use CGA-590 fittings.

b. Blenders wishing to supply gases in refillable cylinders must also be BAR-certified to supply gases in disposable cylinders. This requirement does not apply to blenders wishing to supply only zero air in refillable cylinders, and do not plan to supply any other gases or blends.

c. No metal, plastic, elastomer, weld flux, antiseize compound, valve lubricant, paint, or other material shall be used in cylinder fabrication or assembly, or in cylinder charging equipment, which is incompatible with the gas blend or could cause contamination or degradation to it.

d. All cylinders shall be thoroughly cleaned, dried and passivated in such a manner that the contained blend can meet the stability requirements of this document (see §2.6).

e. All cylinders must comply with the applicable portions of the Federal and California DOT, OSHA, and California Division of Industrial Safety requirements, and must be approved by the bureau in this regard.

f. Blenders must comply with the applicable portions of the Federal DOT specifications for shipping cylinders.

2.5.4 Labeling

Caution signs shall be affixed to all cylinders and shall comply with the applicable DOT and OSHA regulations.

Certified blenders shall print labels in accordance with the requirements detailed in the tables below. These adhesive-backed BAR labels shall be affixed to the top of the cylinder, approximately halfway between the valve and the cylinder side. The color of the labels shall be white and will contain the following information:

* The actual concentrations of the individual gases in the blend[footnoteRef:3] [3: Printing of actual concentrations of individual gases is required for BAR-97 calibration and audit gas blends. For zero air, the nominal concentration of O2 is required. The maximum allowable impurity levels, preceded by a less-than (<) sign, may be preprinted. ]

Upon certification of a facility, the bureau will provide a camera-ready copy of the label artwork for producing the appropriate labels. Camera-ready copy will be provided for each gas blend for which the facility is certified.

The information on the label shall be machine-printed. Hand printing is not permitted.

Each label shall have its individual BAR Label Number imprinted on it. No BAR Label Number may be used more than once, nor may any be sold or transferred to another facility or gas blender. The BAR Label Numbers are assigned to individual facilities only by the Bureau's Engineering & Research Branch. Blocks of numbers may be obtained free of charge by calling (916) 255-1384.

Each blender facility shall implement QA procedures to ensure that (1) No BAR Label Number is used more than once, (2) all BAR Label Numbers assigned by the facility are within the block of numbers issued to them by the Bureau, and (3) a warning is generated when the supply of numbers is getting low, so that the facility may request a new block from the Bureau. The label-generating software may be used to automatically perform these functions with a periodic audit by facility QA personnel.

2.5.5 Bar Code Label

Each BAR-97 gas cylinder, whether calibration gas or audit gas, shall have a bar code label affixed to it, consisting of three bar code strips. Each gas blend shall have a different identifying character for the first strip line. All second lines will have a common identifier, as will all third lines. The following identifying characters are described below.

Gas Blend

Bar Code Leading Identifier

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

High Range Cylinder Mid Range #1 Cylinder Mid Range #2 Cylinder Low Range Cylinder Zero Air Cylinder

$ (dollar sign) A B C . (period)

+ (plus) + (plus) + (plus) + (plus) + (plus)

- (hyphen)

- (hyphen)

- (hyphen)

- (hyphen)

- (hyphen)

The label shall contain the following information:

GAS CYLINDER BAR CODE DEFINITIONS

BAR CODE STRIP #

FIELD

DESCRIPTION

DEFINITION

BAR Label Number

2 Alpha characters followed by 8 numeric characters:

AAnnnnnnnn

The two alpha characters uniquely define each gas blender facility. The eight numeric characters are assigned sequentially in blocks on a first-come first-served basis. (See §2.5.4.)

Gas Blend Code

2 numeric characters:

nn

The gas blend code is based on the list of blends in Section 2 of the Specifications and Accreditation Procedures for Calibration and Audit Gases Used in the California Emissions I/M Program, June 1997, Rev B. For example, a High-Range BAR‑97 Calibration Gas (2% Blend Tolerance, 1% Certified Accuracy) containing a nominal blend of 3200 ppm C3H8, 8.00% CO and 12.0% CO2 is coded as 34 (Item 4 of '2.2.3 of the specification).

(For Zero Air) BAR-97 Zero air blends have the following gas blend codes: “37” for calibration; “45” for audit.

BAR CODE STRIP #

FIELD

(Cont’d)

Actual concentration of hydrocarbon in blend[footnoteRef:4]*. [4: *As determined by post-blending analysis (see '2.7)]

HC Impurity Level

6 numeric characters:

nnnnnn

The left-most character shall be a 1 for propane or a 2 for hexane. BAR reserves the right to add identifiers for other hydrocarbons at a later date. The remaining five characters shall represent the actual concentration* of the hydrocarbon in ppm, and shall be right-justified. Example: 3209 ppm propane would be represented as 103209.

The remaining five characters shall represent the maximum allowable impurity level for THC which is <1 ppm, and shall be right-justified. This shall be shown as “200001.”

Actual concentration of CO in blend*.

CO Impurity Level

4 numeric characters:

nnnn

The four characters shall represent the actual concentration of the CO in percent (with two decimal places assumed), and shall be right-justified. Example: 8.16% CO would be represented as 0816.

The four numeric characters shall represent the maximum allowable impurity level for CO which is <1 ppm and shall be right-justified. Since the BAR label requires a % value, this shall be shown as “0000.”

Actual concentration of CO2 in blend*.

CO2 Impurity Level

3 numeric characters:

nnn

The three characters shall represent the actual concentration of the CO2 in percent (with one decimal place assumed), and shall be right justified. Example: 14.10% CO2 would be represented as 141.

The three numeric characters shall represent the maximum allowable impurity level for CO2 which is <400 ppm for calibration and <1 ppm for audit, and shall be right-justified. However, since the BAR label requires a % value, this shall be shown as “000.”

BAR CODE STRIP #

FIELD

2 (Cont’d)

Actual concentration of NO in blend*.

NO Impurity Level

4 numeric characters:

nnnn

The four characters shall represent the actual concentration of the nitric oxide in ppm, and shall be right justified. Example: 989 ppm NO would be represented as 0989.

The four numeric characters shall represent the maximum allowable impurity level for NO which is <1 ppm, and shall be right-justified. This shall be shown as “0001.”

Actual concentration of O2 in blend[footnoteRef:5]*. [5: *As determined by post blending analysis (see '2.7).]

3 numeric characters:

nnn

The three characters shall represent the actual concentration of the O2 in percent (with one decimal place assumed), and shall be right justified. Example: 21.0% O2 would be represented as 210.

The three numeric characters shall represent the nominal concentration of the O2 in percent (with one decimal place assumed), and shall be right justified. This shall be shown as “209.”

Expiration Date

8 numeric characters:

nnnnnnnn

The characters represent the date in month/day/year format. The year is expressed as four digits. Example: May 8,2004 would be represented as 05082004.

Blender’s Lot Number

9 alphanumeric characters:

nnnnnnnnn

The first 8 numeric characters represent the fill date in month/day/year format. The year is expressed as four digits. The last numeric character at the end of the string represents the sequential lot blended that day. Example: The fifth lot filled on May 8, 2004 would be represented as 050820045.

These fields shall be fixed in length, left justified, and zero-filled (if necessary).

a) Bar-Coded Label Characteristics and Placement

i) Durability The bar-coded label material shall be such that its bar code can be successfully scanned on the date of the cylinder’s expiration, having spent its useful life in an automotive environment.

ii) Permanent Attachment The bar-coded label shall be affixed to its cylinder so that it is permanently attached, and cannot be removed without destroying the bar code.

iii) Location On Cylinder Disposable Cylinders: The label shall be placed on the top (domed portion) of the cylinder, in an unobscured area. (This location is necessary because, in the majority of analyzer configurations, only the top of the cylinder is visible and accessible when installed.)

Refillable (High-Pressure) Cylinders: The label shall be placed on the side of the cylinder, within two inches of the top of the cylindrical portion. The bar code shall be parallel to the cylinder’s axis, and directly in line with the outlet of the cylinder’s shutoff valve. The bar code label shall be protected from damage in a manner acceptable to the Bureau.

iv) Alternative Configurations Alternative configurations shall be submitted to BAR for its consideration.

b) General Bar Code Symbology Specifications

i) Code 39 Symbology The bar code shall conform to “BAR Code Symbology for 3 of 9 Bar Codes” published by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG B-1). All aspects of the bar-code symbology codes shall follow this specification except as described in the following sections.

ii) Code Density and Dimensions (Reference Appendix A of AIAG B-7) The average width of the narrow element is within the range of 0.19 mm (0.0075 inches) and 0.317 mm (0.0125 inches). The ratio is three to one with an allowable range of 2.8 to 3.2. The minimum bar height is 9.5 mm (0.375 inches) or 15 percent of the bar code length.

c) Scanning Devices (FOR GAS BLENDER’S INFORMATION ONLY) A typical bar code scanner that will be used to read the bar code label is Symbol Technologies Model Number LS-3020HV-HxxxA.

2.6 EXPIRATION DATES

For all cylinders, disposable or refillable, the expiration date for propane (C3H8), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in nitrogen (N2) shall be 36 months from the fill date.

The expiration date for nitric oxide (NO) in N2, or any blend containing NO, shall be 24 months from the fill date.

The expiration date for zero air shall be sixty (60) months from the fill date.

Until the expiration date is reached, the gases contained in the cylinders shall meet all the requirements of this document.

2.7 QUALITY ASSURANCE

Gas blenders shall have a fully documented and implemented quality assurance program as a prerequisite to certification.

Blenders shall test each lot of gas in accordance with accepted industry practice for precision gases. At a minimum, blenders shall analyze five (5) cylinders or 3% of each lot, whichever is more. In addition, each lot of gas containing NO shall be held for at least one week and, at the end of the week, a similar (randomly-selected) sample from the same lot shall be re-analyzed to check that the blend has not degraded due to insufficient passivation, inadvertent introduction of impurities, etc.

For each lot, the test results and the number of cylinders in the lot shall be made available to the bureau upon request. Documentation shall be maintained for a minimum of three (3) years.

The bureau may order or perform spot retesting of gas blends at random.

Equipment maintenance shall be performed regularly, in accordance with the equipment manufacturer's recommendations. Maintenance may be performed more frequently than recommended, but not less frequently. Each major equipment item shall have a separate maintenance form. These forms and a description of the manufacturer-recommended maintenance shall be kept on the equipment in a readily accessible location within a protective cover. The forms shall include the dates of maintenance as well as the names and signatures of the persons performing the maintenance. These forms shall be made available to the bureau upon request.

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