Flow rate test bench: automated and compliant to ISO standards

he issue of measuring the flow rate through a pneumatic component is a critical one. Several methods exist, each with its own pros and cons regarding the type of gas, measurement range, and accuracy. ISO Standards, however, consider only a few of them: orifice plates, nozzles, Venturi nozzles, Venturi tubes. Although amenable to possible criticism, the International Organization for Standardization is an important reference. Designing a test bench according to its Standards is often more than reasonable: advantages include certification, assessment of test methods and accuracy, worldwide recognition. On the other hand, however detailed the Standards may be, they often lack the designer's (and perhaps the user's) point of view. This aspect leads to complicated realizations, low usability or long test execution times. This article proposes a flow rate test bench compliant to ISO Standards allowing a partially automated testing, rational installation, high configurability, user-friendliness, and accuracy. © 2012, Society for Experimental Mechanics.