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PUBLICATIONS

Reply to editor of Flow Control Magazine

Published

Author(s)

G E. Mattingly

Abstract

In the article titled Flow Calibration Laboratory Performance: What Should Your Expectations Be? (Mar/Apr 2001), authors Bowles and Grimley state several times that No national or international standards exist for flow rate (p 25 and 29). I respectfully disagree.NIST and many other National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) have, for decades, maintained standards for flow rate. These standards are derived standards in that they use timed-collection methods to determine flow rate. These standards are primary in that they are not calibrated by a higher authority flow standard. Of course, the component measurement systems--mass, time, length (area and volume), and temperature--that comprise these derived standards are themselves calibrated using higher authority standards traceable to the respective SI unit. The uncertainties for these derived standards are produced using conventional metrological techniques and these uncertainties are verified, for specific ranges of flow conditions, using Proficiency Testing (see Refr. 1) in comparison tests with other NMIs.All of these standards and the calibration services offered by NIST are described in Refr. 2 and they can be found on the NIST web site: www.nist.gov . NIST maintains these standards and services so that U.S. industries, testing laboratories, other government agencies, and academia can efficiently and effectively obtain proper and pertinent traceability for their measurements.References.1. Mattingly, G. E. Flow Metrology: Standards, Calibrations, and Traceabilities, Flow Measurement: Practical Guides for Measurement and Control (Chap 24), edited by D. W. Spitzer, ISA Publ. Res. Tri. Pk., NC 27709, 1991.2. Marshall, J. L. (edit.) NIST Calibration Services Users Guide 1998,NIST Special Publication-250, Jan 1998; available via: (301) 975-2002.
Citation
Flow Control
Pub Type
Journals

Keywords

calibration services, flow rate standards

Citation

Mattingly, G. (2008), Reply to editor of Flow Control Magazine, Flow Control (Accessed July 27, 2024)

Issues

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Created October 16, 2008