The use of diaphragm bellows to construct a constant pressure gas flowmeter for the flow rate range 10−7 Pa m3 s−1 to 10−1 Pa m3 s−1

A constant pressure gas flowmeter using a directly driven diaphragm bellows as a volume displacer was studied. This flowmeter is perfectly vacuum-sealed, does not contain elastomers and liquids that would prevent outgassing at elevated temperatures and can achieve a smaller ratio of the final volume to the displaced volume than when bellows are used, so that the uncertainty in generating small flow rates can be small. As, when a bellows is used in the volume displacer, the displaced volume cannot be calculated from the geometric dimensions and its dependence on the displacement is non-linear, a sensitive method had to be developed for measuring this dependence. The uncertainty in measuring the displaced volume by this method and the achieved uncertainty of the flowmeter were determined.