Methods of precisely regulating a process gas flow through a process chamber of an additive manufacturing system and additive manufacturing systems that perform the methods

A method of precisely regulating a process gas flow through a process chamber, wherein the process chamber defines an enclosed chamber volume, which contains an additive manufacturing process, a process gas inlet to the enclosed chamber volume, and a process gas outlet from the enclosed chamber volume, the method comprising:

• positioning a removeable flow rate sensor to measure an actual bulk flow rate of the process gas flow through the process chamber;
• utilizing a process control system of the additive manufacturing process, controlling the process gas flow through the process chamber to a desired bulk flow rate, wherein the controlling includes establishing the actual bulk flow rate of the process gas flow through the process chamber;
• during the controlling the process gas flow through the process chamber, measuring, with the removeable flow rate sensor, the actual bulk flow rate of the process gas flow through the process chamber;
• subsequent to the measuring the actual bulk flow rate, separating the removeable flow rate sensor from the process chamber;
• subsequent to the measuring, comparing the actual bulk flow rate to the desired bulk flow rate;
• and
• one of:
• (i) responsive to the actual bulk flow rate being within a threshold flow rate differential of the desired bulk flow rate, proceeding with the additive manufacturing process;
• and
• (ii) responsive to the actual bulk flow rate differing from the desired bulk flow rate by greater than the threshold flow rate differential, performing a corrective action and subsequently proceeding with the additive manufacturing process.