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Physical Measurement Laboratory /Sensor Science Division

Fluid Metrology Group

The Group develops models, standards, reference data, and novel calibration techniques for metering liquid and gas flows, airspeed, liquid density, and volume. We measure micro-flows (e.g., pharmaceuticals) and mega-flows (e.g., natural gas in major pipelines, pollutants from power plants).

The Group has encouraged the accurate calculation of the thermophysical properties of helium and argon from quantum mechanics as well as the use of the calculated properties as standards to calibrate instruments that measure flow, viscosity, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, speed of sound, and the nist-equation of state.

News and Updates

NIST researcher Jodie Pope with the big blue ball

Better Flowmeters with the Big Blue Ball

Last year, upwards of 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas were delivered to customers in the United States, and when it changed hands, nearly every cubic foot

Projects and Programs

Understanding Flow Meters

Accurate flow measurements are needed for test fluids, temperatures, pressures, flows, and installation conditions that differ from those used during NIST's
shaded quasi sphere

Atomic Standard for Pressure

NIST scientists are developing a highly accurate primary standard for pressure in the range 2 MPa to 7 MPa based on fundamental physical properties of helium
Diagram of NIST's Smoke Stack Simulator test bed

Smoke Stack Simulator

Today, inconsistencies between measured CO2 emissions and emissions calculated from coal consumption are on the order of 10% to 20%. The objective of this

Publications

Reproducibility of Liquid Micro-Flow Measurements

Author(s)
John D. Wright, James W. Schmidt
New applications in biology, medicine, and manufacturing require reliable measurements of liquid flows smaller than 100 υL/min. NIST addressed this requirement

REFRACTIVE-INDEX GAS THERMOMETRY

Author(s)
Patrick Rourke, Christof Gaiser, Roberto M. Gavioso, Michael R. Moldover, Laurent Pitre, Robin Underwood
The principles and techniques of primary refractive-index gas thermometry (RIGT) are reviewed. Absolute primary RIGT using microwave measurements of helium

Tools and Instruments

transient gas flow instruments

Transient Gas Flow Facility

A compressor is used to pressurize up to twenty-five 40 L gas cylinders to 35 MPa. The cylinders can then be used as a source of rapidly changing gas flow by
cryogenic flow loop instrument

Cryogenic Flow Loop

NIST developed a cryogenic flow loop; it is the only internationally-recognized facility for calibrating flow meters operating with liquid nitrogen. (After
gas flow standards instrument

Gas Flow Standards

NIST uses pressure, volume, temperature, and time (PVTt) standards to calibrate gas flow meters. PVTt flow standards generate selected, steady gas flows through

Awards

Products and Services

Related Links

Contacts

Group Leader

Office Manager