FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                  NIST 95-33
Dec. 15, 1995

Contact:  Linda Joy                     AIR-SPEED PROFICIENCY
          (301) 975-4403                TESTING CONSORTIUM
          linda.joy@nist.gov            LAUNCHED AT COMMERCE'S NIST


     Air-speed instrument manufacturers and users are forming a new
industrial consortium with the Commerce Department's National Institute
of Standards and Technology to improve air-speed measurements.

     NIST is launching the new Air-Speed Proficiency Testing Consortium
in response to manufacturers who have expressed a need for improved air
flow measurements. Improvements in low air-speed measurements are
important for the control of ventilation for clean-room environments,
meteorology and air-borne pollutant control. Testing will span the
air-speed range from 0.3 to 15 meters per second.

     "We see the potential for significant improvements in measurements
of low air speeds," explains J. Michael Hall, physical science
technician and a member of the NIST fluid flow group. "The cooperative
efforts of consortium members will help solve what has been a difficult
problem in this area."

     Participating instrument manufacturers are providing NIST with two
types of air-speed measuring devices selected for this program: hot-wire
anemometers and Pitot-static tubes. NIST is evaluating and calibrating
each instrument to assess its performance under the selected test
conditions.

     NIST scientists then will select instruments on the basis of
performance in the conditions specified for round-robin testing in
participants' wind tunnels. In the second phase of the consortium's
work, the selected instruments will be hand carried to each
participant's air-speed laboratory. Results of tests done in these
facilities will indicate how much measurement variance exists between
the laboratories and NIST and among the laboratories.

     The consortium will then work to reduce excessive interlaboratory
variances in air-speed measurements. Scientists will repeat the initial
tests to evaluate improvements or to confirm the initial results. When
completed, the tests should enable consortium members to claim
traceability to NIST air-speed standards; results also should lead to
guidelines and test procedures for accurate low speed measurements.

     The new consortium has eight members: six companies and two
Department of Defense laboratories. New members must have a wind tunnel
facility. Current members include Airflow Developments (Canada) Ltd.,
Georgetown, Ont.; Airflow Technical Products, Netcong, N.J.; Barnant
Company (division of Cole-Palmer Instrument Co.), Barrington, Ill.; the
U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Ga.; the U.S. Navy Primary
Standards Laboratory, San Diego, Calif.; PECO Energy, Wayne, Pa.;
Shortridge Instruments, Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Sierra Instruments,
Monterey, Calif.

     For further information on the NIST Air-Speed Proficiency Testing
Consortium, contact J. Michael Hall, (301) 975-5947, or Vern E. Bean,
(301) 975-4830, Room 105, Fluid Mechanics Building, NIST, Gaithersburg,
Md. 20899-0001.

     As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology
Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with
industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.

                               -30-

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Member contacts:

Airflow Developments     Ray Hamill            (905) 873-7333
(Canada) Ltd.

Barnant Co.              Bob Seto              (708) 842-2348

PECO Energy              Roger Stadnik         (610) 971-7258

Shortridge Instruments   Ernie Shortridge      (602) 991-6744

Sierra Instruments       Gary Russell          (408) 373-0200

U.S. Marine Corps        Mike Butts            (912) 439-5395
 Logistics Base

U.S. Navy Primary        Irone Campbell        (619) 545-9705
Standards Laboratory

Airflow Technical        Charles Risner        (201) 691-4825
Products