BetaShape: An improved code for calculating beta radiation decay spectra

Radioactive decay occurs in unstable nuclides with an excess of protons or neutrons in the nucleus. Accurate knowledge of the decay process is vital in the nuclear industry where it is used in waste processing, storage, powerplant decommissioning or adherence to Directives such as 2013/59/Euratom on basic safety standards for protection against ionising radiation. A common form is beta minus (β-) decay where neut...

Thermal diffusivity measurements at high temperatures for space launcher engines

Industries increasingly rely on running their operations at high temperatures, up to 3000 °C, to increase the efficiency and reduce environmental footprint. However, before the Hi-TRACE project there was a metrological need for accurate thermophysical properties measurements with assessed measurement uncertainties. In the space industry, knowing thermophysical properties of materials is essential in order to desi...

A low-cost 3D Large Volume Metrology system for the factories of the future

Even relatively small passenger planes have wingspans and fuselages exceeding 35 m in length, and larger, more modern aircraft can exceed 50 m or more. Due to the size of components in aviation, and many other industries, these must be correctly assembled, tracked and error mapped or ‘calibrated’ in situ. To do this requires the use of Large-Volume Metrology (LVM). One of the most common LVM tools are laser track...

Providing accurate measurements for dynamic pressure applications

Many industrial sectors involve processes that undergo dynamic changes in temperature and pressure. One key area is the automotive sector where around 99.8% of all global transport is powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). It has been estimated that improvements in engine designs have the potential to reduce fuel consumption by 30%, representing a significant impact both on cost and the environment. Corre...

A new calibration standard for solid-state lighting

Around 12% of electricity consumption in the world is used for lighting. More efficient systems have the potential of allowing Europe to save up to 34 TWh of electricity by 2030, reducing CO2 emissions by 7 million tonnes per year. Incandescent lights – where electricity flowing through a thin metal filament, such as tungsten, heats it until it glows – have been in use since the 19th century. In these only around ...

Ensuring the safety of wireless power transfer systems

Non-ionizing radiation in the radiofrequency range from 600 MHz to 300 GHz provides the basis for connectivity in mobile communication applications. Additionally, electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by inductively coupled coils at low frequencies (typically below 10 MHz) are widely used for contactless charging of household appliances and electric vehicles. Exposure to EMFs can have adverse health effects, ho...

Transnational time transfer via fibre-optics

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have transformed the mobility, safety and security of people and goods. About 7% of the European economy benefits from GNSS applications, a market forecast to be worth €250 billion a year by 2022. Each GNSS satellite emits radio signals encoded with data about the time of transmission and position. Back on earth, GNSS receivers measure the transit times of four or more s...

Fibre-optic based wireless positioning

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become an essential infrastructure, as citizens, industry and the sciences came to rely on its navigation and timing applications. Roughly 7 % of the EU economy benefits from GNSS applications, a market forecast to be worth €250 billion a year by 2022. However, with no backup infrastructure, any disruption of GNSS signals would cause huge disruption. Indeed, relativ...

Trusting complex software

Modern cars must be manufactured with great precision to ensure they meet design specification. Grooves in the pistons or ripples on body surfaces affect the car’s performance and appearance. Most engineering industries face similar issues, as ever greater accuracy is required to produce more precisely engineered parts. Co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) measure components to check they correspond to design. A...

Innovation in 3D analysis

The electronics industry aims to develop ever smaller, more powerful and efficient devices, and is keen to use new organic materials alongside conventional components. Existing measurement methods – designed for silicon based electronics – are unsuitable for these organic materials. Therefore, in order to accurately specify the performance of organic components, new traceable 3D nanoscale chemical, and electrical ...