Home
The DIY Flow Bench is a basic system to measure and display volumetric air flow. The aim of the project is to provide an affordable and easy to build flow bench from readily available components that generates results comparable with a commercial unit. We also have some features planned that exceed the capabilities of current commercial benches.
The project is based around a standard automotive Mass Air Flow sensor and ESP32 programmable processor. Support for orifice style benches is also included, with support for and pitot and venturi benches underway. Data is displayed via a web browser interface that can be accessed via WiFi using a computer or tablet. Data can also be accessed via third party systems and apps using a serial API.
The project consists of three distinct parts. The DIYFB firmware, the DIYFB Shield and the Flow bench physical design
The firmware runs on an ESP32 processor and runs out of the box with the DIYFB Shield. Initial setup and configuration is carried out using a direct WiFi connection using direct Access Point mode. Configuration is carried out within the web browser. WiFi access details can be set to connect the system to your local WiFi network if desired.
The firmware also includes the capability to record and store flow test data on the ESP processor with future support for SD cards planned. Files can be managed using the in built file manager which supports download and upload capabilities. Flow test data is stored in JSON format so that you can easily analyse the data on your computer using third party tools such as Excel.
The firmware can be configured to work with other hardware or DIY Shields by remapping the pins and configuring different input methods within a single configuration file. It can also be configured to run headless using in built Serial and HTTP API protocols.
The DIYFB Shield is a custom shield specifically designed for the DIYFB application. It supports a number of different sensors along with inputs and outputs to interface with peripheral equipment. The shield works out-of-the-box with the DIY-Flow-Bench firmware. This provides a very quick pathway for non-tech-savvy users to get up and running with a plug-and-play solution.
Supplied either fully assembled or as a DIY kit, it can also provide a cheap and easy way for those more tech savvy users to build their own controller with PCB design files and BOMs made available for those who like to build things at a component level.
Currently the shield is still in beta with an final release planned to coincide with the official V2 code launch.
The application can also be used with DIY shields or breadboarded solutions by remapping the pins and configuring different input methods.
The shield design is open source and available under the CERN–OHL–W license which allows people to make their own derivative designs provided that attribution is provided and that any derivative design is also made publicly available. PCB schematics can be found in the project repository.
The physical flow bench design is very much user-oriented and will largely be driven by what you are measuring and how much effort you want to put in. There are some basic guidelines in the Wiki on how to put together a simple functional MAF bench using a shop-vac as a vac source. In its simplest form this is essentially a length of tube with the MAF sensor mounted in the middle, the vac source at one end and the test object at the other.
However, if you want something a little better you can easily improve on this design by using a larger or multiple vac sources and more complicated bench design employing plenum chambers and reference orifices. There are many such designs available in printed publications and online.
A good place to start researching improved bench designs is our Technical reference section where we have captured some web based info including basic bench designs that should help you get started.
We also have a discussion forum where you can ask questions or read through previous discussion threads.
Our Facebook Page is also a really good place to discuss bench design and get some ideas from the community. This is a path well trodden and there are many members that have built their own benches.
The DIYFB project can also easily be retrofitted to existing benches offering existing bench users an upgrade pathway to use the DIYFB project with older style manometer benches or to replace outdated controllers.
For the current project status please check the project README file on the main page.
You can also view the project roadmap in the project tracker:
https://github.com/DeeEmm/DIY-Flow-Bench/projects
Please see the Archived Versions section
If you want to help us with development or testing, please feel free to download the beta release or fork the current ESP32 repository.
- All bugs should be reported via the bug tracker - https://github.com/DeeEmm/DIY-Flow-Bench/issues
- Discussions relating to development can be found in the development forums
Good luck with your build and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via the forums:
Or you can see if anyone is online at the Discord help page over at:
Please also feel free to contribute to the discussions on our Facebook page: