I've been tasked with developing a battle plan for a new flow test bench for our various lines of valves and connectors.  We make a lot of filler valves, globe valves & angle valves, safety relief valves, etc from less than an inch on up to 3" inlet/outlets.
The whole point of being able to flow test is so that we can get an idea on the performance of our valves before sending them off for U.L. approval, and most importantly, before they're released for production.  We'd like to have it in house to avoid the costs of sending them out to be tested, along with avoiding having to re-submit to U.L. and the like.
I figure my first step is to choose a pump, so lets start there.  The envelope I'm looking at is hopefully to be able to hit 200 PSI and 300 GPM+, but not necessarily at the same time.We are talking about a fairly large volume here, and some factors obviously have to be taken into consideration and decided upon during the planning periode:
- General safety if valves should burst
- For this purpose water better than gases/air
- Caretaking of outlet from safety valves
- Flow or only pressure checks?
- If flow checks: pumps will probably not be exact enough on pressure and amount. Good quality regulating valves with large control span for capacity and pressure variations will probably have to be installed in the circuit. Also perhaps pressurized vessels or general reservoir?
- Single test-station or several or a multitude of valves tested and resulting influence on pressure regulating and lay-out before and after valves?
- All pumps, measurement instruments, regulating valves and other itmes of quality to be calibrated, certified and give result within acceptable accuracy limits over the wished for time.
- Room enough on rig for straight stretches and alterations, modifications and additions and maintenance in the future.

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