[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8087]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 5, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 940373-4073]

 

Announcement of an Opportunity To Join a Cooperative Research and 
Development Consortium for Air Speed Measurement Assurance

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
invites interested parties to participate in a cooperative research 
consortium to assess the performance of air speed calibration 
facilities and establish realistic traceability for the participants. 
Parties interested in participating in the consortium should be 
prepared to invest adequate resources in the collaboration and be 
firmly committed to the goal of quantifying the performance of 
anemometer test facilities.
    The program will be within the scope and confines of The Federal 
Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502, 15 U.S.C. 3710a), 
which provides federal laboratories including NIST, with the authority 
to enter into cooperative research agreements with qualified parties. 
Under this law, NIST may contribute personnel, equipment and 
facilities--but no funds--to the cooperative research program. Members 
will be expected to make a contribution to the consortium's efforts in 
the form of materials, equipment, personnel, and/or funds. The program 
is expected to last one year. This is not a grant program.

DATES: Detailed planning for the consortium began on February 7, 1994. 
Interested parties should contact NIST to confirm their interest at the 
address, telephone number or FAX number shown below no later than May 
7, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Mr. William Cleveland, Building 230, room 105, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. William Cleveland, Telephone: 301-975-5954; FAX: 301-258-9201.

supplementary information: The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to participate in a 
cooperative research consortium to assess the performance of air speed 
calibration facilities and establish realistic traceability for the 
participants. The calibration of anemometers is critical to ventilation 
measurements in the HVAC and related industries. Presently, anemometers 
are calibrated by both instrument manufacturers and users alike in a 
wide variety of facilities employing different methods. In most cases, 
both manufacturers and users establish traceability to a central 
laboratory such as NIST. However, there are indications that there may 
be variations as large as plus or minus 15% among the calibration 
measurements being made due to a lack of standard calibration 
technique. Measurements are considered traceable to designated 
standards if scientifically rigorous evidence is produced to show that 
the measurement process is producing measurement results for which the 
total measurement uncertainty relative to the designated standards is 
quantified. Realistic traceability to national standards for flow 
measurement can be obtained using a round-robin testing program, which 
produces reasonable estimates of systematic errors for a measurement 
process.
    The purpose of the consortium is to devise an appropriate test and 
set the conditions so that test results quantify the performance of 
anemometer calibration facilities, operated by both instrument 
manufacturers and users, using a round-robin testing program. The 
participating members will choose instruments and test conditions so 
that they are compatible with typical situations used in their 
facilities.
    This program is being undertaken within the scope and confines of 
The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502, 15 
U.S.C. 3710a), which provides federal laboratories including NIST, with 
the authority to enter into cooperative research agreements with 
qualified parties. Under this law, NIST may contribute personnel, 
equipment and facilities, but not direct funding.

    Dated: March 30, 1994.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 94-8087 Filed 4-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M