Mercury Instruments TCI | Electronic Temperature Compensation
The Honeywell Mercury Instruments TCI (temperature compensated index) is fast becoming the value-priced replacement of traditional mechanical TC indexes of rotary meters. The TCI is compatible with Itron, Sensus, Hexagram, Cellnet, Badger AMR devices and customers can choose to have their devices installed and pre-wired at the factory during assembly.
Honeywell Mercury Instruments TCI
The Mercury Instruments TCI™ is an advanced electronic temperature compensating index for natural gas rotary meters. The device is easy to use and self-contained. The TCI is an electronic gas meter display and interface that compensates for the real-time thermal characteristics of a volume of constant pressure gas.
The TCI is an electronic replacement for the mechanical TC index mounts on most popular rotary gas meters, including Dresser LMMA or B3, Romet, and AMCO. Mercury rotary pulse sensors and an electronic temperature sensor are included with the TCI.
Total temperature-compensated gas volume always displays on the LCD, which is visible even at unusually cold temperatures. Also, the LCD allows for normal viewing without physically rotating the display. This is beneficial in applications that require the instrument to be turned. The TCI is powered by a single lithium battery pack (2 D cells), which has 20 years of useful life under standard operating service, and then, of course, they’ll need to be replaced. It is also recommended that the units be calibrated on a 20-year cycle, making it proficient for battery replacements and calibrations.
Several items relating to gas measurement parameters are stored in the TCI. Additionally, alarms and hardware/software details are also available. Items are data parameters that are identified by unique numbers and practical names such as Compensated Volume and Gas Temperature. Every item has an assigned default value, and almost all are user-configurable.
Serial communications with the TCI are handled through an IrDA data port, an advanced infra-red interface that is electrically isolated and provides helpful error checking. The physical connection to the TCI is accomplished by sliding a USB to IrDA Dongle with a distinctive rubber boot on to the side of the TCI. For most applications, the IrDA Dongle is connected to a USB extension cable and then connected to the laptop, making a reliable isolated connection.
The TCI has a wide range of configurable Items making it extremely adaptable to fit most rotary applications. Field configurations of the TCI will usually require using Mercury MasterLink32 software.
For more information, visit Mercury TCI Electronic Temperature Compensation.
Features of Temperature Compensating Index
- Redundant meter volume input sensors
- Durable, UV resistant, clear polycarbonate enclosure
- Potted electronics to safeguard against moisture/water ingress
- Immersion tested to 1 meter underwater for 72 hours (No AMR connections)
- Large 8-character alphanumeric LCD with Icons (always on)
- Configurable Meter Reader list for displaying up to 12 Item values
- Historical data record – stores 90 days of compensated and uncompensated volume totals along with three additional Item values
- Two Form-A (normally open) outputs for Volume
- One Form-B (normally closed) output for an Alarm signal
- Field programmable firmware updates
- Total accuracy: +/- 0.25 %
- Ambient temperature -40 to +160 F (-40 to +71 C)
Certifications
- IEC 61000-4-2 testing (Electrostatic discharge)
- IEC 61000-4-3 testing (Electromagnetic fields)
- Measurement Canada
- CSA — Class 1, Div 1 & Div 2, Group D certifications
- FCC Part 15
