Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

When trading with fluids, legal verification applies, pursuant to the Verification Act [1] and the Verification Ordinance [2]. All tasks incumbent on PTB in this context – approval/certification of measuring instruments, provisions, work in regulatory and standardisation committees as well as consultation – are dealt with by Working Group 1.51 "Liquid Meters".

For the type approval and product certification of liquid meters, Annexes 4, 5 and 6 to the Verification Ordinance are relevant.

Annex 4 "Measuring instruments for liquids at rest", which is focused on:
- stationary storage tanks (e.g. in refineries)
- transportable measuring tanks (e.g. as road or rail tankers)
- road tankers with automatic level gauges
- level gauges with a float, a probe or capacitive sensors
- level gauges working according to the radar or ultrasonic measurement method
- tank storage management systems

Annex 5 "Measuring systems for flowing liquids other than water", especially for the measurement of:
- petroleum products and fuels
- liquid foodstuffs

Annex 6 "Water meters", mainly for domestic purposes with:
- cold- and hot-water meters (single and multi-jet meters and woltmann meters)
- fluidic flowmeters
- magneto-inductive and ultrasonic flow integrators

 Since the European Measuring Instrument Directive 2004/22/EC (MID) [3] was introduced in November 2006, PTB has become a notified body for water meters (MI-001) and for measuring facilities for liquids other than water (MI-005).

   [1]        Verification Act in the version as promulgated on 23 March 1992 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 711), last amended on 7 March 2011 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 338)

   [2]        Verification Act – General Provisions (EO-AV) of 12 August 1988 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1657), last amended on 6 June 2011 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1035)

   [3]        Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments (OJ L 135, p. 1)

Measuring-instrument-specific, verification-relevant provisions, recommendations and standards

The currently valid normative technical documents for measuring instruments for liquids at rest are:

• Annex 4 to the Verification Act – General Provisions (EO-AV) of 12 August 1988 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1657), last amended on 6 June 2011 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1035)

• OIML R 71 "Fixed storage tanks. General requirements", 2008

• OIML R 80-1 "Road and rail tankers with level gauging", 2009

Part 1: Metrological and technical requirements, 2009

• OIML R 85 "Automatic level gauges for measuring the level of liquid in stationary storage tanks", 2008

Part 1: Metrological and technical requirements
Part 2: Metrological control and tests
Part 3: Report format for type evaluation

• GM-P 4.2 "Storage tanks in the form of upright containers"

• PTB-A 4.2 "Storage tanks and related measuring instruments"

• PTB-A 4.3 "Transport measuring containers"

• PTB-A 4.5 "Volumetric measuring facilities with transportable measuring containers and electronic level gauging"

The following regulations apply to measuring systems for flowing liquids other than water:

• Annex 5 to the Verification Act – General Provisions (EO-AV) of 12 August 1988 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1657), last amended on 6 June 2011 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1035)

• Annex MI-005 to Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments (OJ L 135, p. 1)

• OIML R117-1: "Dynamic measuring systems for liquids other than water", 2007

    Part 1: Metrological and technical requirements

• GM-P 5 "Directive for the verification and testing of measuring instruments for flowing liquids other than water"

The following specific, verification-related provisions, directives and standards apply to water meters:

• Annex 6 to the Verification Act – General Provisions (EO-AV) of 12 August 1988 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1657), last amended on 6 June 2011 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1035)

• Annex MI-001 to Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments (OJ L 135, p. 1)

• EN 14154 "Water meters", dated June 2011

         Part 1: General requirements
   Part 2: Installation and conditions of use
   Part 3: Test methods and equipment

• OIML R 49 „Water meters intended for the metering of cold potable water and hot water“, 2006

         Part 1: Metrological and technical requirements
   Part 2: Test methods
   Part 3: Test report format

• ISO 4064 „Measurement of water flow in fully charged closed conduits – Meters for cold potable water and hot water“, 2005

        Part 1: Specifications
  Part 2: Installation requirements
  Part 3: Test methods and equipment

• Technical Guideline of PTB TR W 19: "Measuring instruments for water – in-service testing by verification authorities or state-approved test centres", dated November 2007

• "Sampling test procedure for cold-water meters", PTB Mitteilungen No. 102, issue No. 4, p. 295

• EN ISO 5167 "Measurement of fluid flow by means of pressure differential devices inserted in circular cross-section conduits running full", dated 2004

• Directive for the verification of volumetric instruments for flowing water and requirements on standards

         EA 6.1: Part 1 – cold-water meters, November 2011
         EA 6.2: Part 2 – hot-water meters, March 2001