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Fluid Metrology Group

Welcome
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The Fluid Metrology Group provides calibration services for fluid flow, airspeed, liquid density and volume measurements. The Group develops models, reference data, and novel techniques for improved measurements of flow, temperature, and pressure, and uses acoustic techniques to determine the thermodynamic and transport properties of process gases.

 

 

Objectives:

  • Develop next-generation standards for measuring process variables, especially temperature and pressure. Current focus: developing a primary pressure standard based on measuring the dielectric constant of helium
  • Develop novel measurement techniques and models for the thermophysical and interfacial properties of process streams. Current focus: using acoustic techniques to determine the thermophysical properties of semiconductor process gases
  • Fundamental studies of fluid properties. Current focus: measuring shear thinning and bulk viscosity of xenon near the liquid-vapor critical point in microgravity
Programs/Projects

Pipeline-Scale Flow Measurement Standards for Natural Gas—NIST natural gas flow calibrations are performed offsite at the CEESI Iowa flow facility in Garner, Iowa under NIST’s metrological control. A bilateral key comparison done in 2010 between …

Transient Flow Standard for Vehicle Refueling—Today, hydrogen-fueled demonstration vehicles are refueled from dispensers in 3 to 5 minutes using sequential releases from a bank of pressurized cylinders. This results in large gas flow (0 to 10 …

Atomic Standard of Pressure—NIST scientists are working with other National Measurement Institutes to develop a high-accuracy primary standard for pressure in the range 0.3 MPa to 7 MPa based on fundamental physical …

Reference Values of Gas Viscosity—NIST has refined techniques to produce reference values for the viscosity and thermal conductivity of argon with a standard uncertainty of only 0.08%. The viscosity of hydrogen, methane, and xenon …