Application Note
Technology
at Work
When the Fluke 787 ProcessMe-
ter
™
was launched five years
ago, it was the first tool to com-
bine a digital multimeter (DMM)
and a loop calibrator in a single
handheld tool. It also cost less
than the price of some loop cali-
brators alone. For technicians
who need to conduct a wide
variety of tests, but don’t want to
buy-and especially carry-a large
number of tools, the Fluke 787
was a welcome relief.
The versatility of Fluke’s
ProcessMeters, the Model 787
and the recently released Model
789, makes them the tool of
choice for engineers and techni-
cians across a wide variety of
industries — from oil pipelines
and pulp plants to biotech
companies.
Fluke ProcessMeter
™
proves that less can
be more
Separating oil from
water
When you’re working less than
20 miles from the Arctic Ocean
on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline,
performance and reliability are
absolute requirements for tools.
For the last two years, Bob Cur-
tis, an instrument technician for
Phillips Alaska, Inc., has used his
Fluke ProcessMeter for a wide
variety of critical measurements.
Curtis works at Phillips’
Kuparuk Oil Field facility, where
water and gas are separated
from crude oil in preparation for
shipment down the pipeline. He
performs maintenance on the
process instrumentation and con-
trols, including a variety of
devices ranging from transmitters
and valves to PLC’s and DCS
control systems.
His Fluke ProcessMeter has
simplified his life by combining
many functions into one tool.
Using the voltmeter function, he
measures power supplies, loop
voltages, control circuit voltages,
and incoming ac line power. The
current meter portion is handy
for measuring loop currents. Cur-
tis uses the frequency function
for several measurements includ-
ing frequency in ac lines and
power supply regulators. Another
critical application is measuring
the frequency of turbine meters
for flow measurement and the
frequency from magnetic speed
pickups on rotating equipment
(turbines, pumps). The analog
output feature is used primarily
for driving 4-20 mA loops to sig-
nal inputs, I/P’s, and valve posi-
tioners that take a 4-20 mA
input directly. The resistance
portion of the meter is used for
checking loop resistances, device
impedances and continuity.
From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library