Dissemination of accurate time and frequency over ground-based optical systems

Almost all areas of modern life require an accurate knowledge of time, synchronised to a common time source. In Europe, time and frequency signals, and hence positioning information, are provided by radio signals or the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Galileo network of 30 satellites orbiting 20 000 km above the Earth equipped with atomic clocks. These satellites can disseminate time with a 2-5 ns accuracy, but this...

Consumer trust increased by new reference device

The energy grid is becoming increasingly more decarbonised. However, renewable energy sources are more variable compared to conventional energy sources, resulting in a great need to develop the metrological network required to control and monitor the energy grid. The changes in the energy grid system have also resulted in a need for associated alternative digital high voltage sensors and digital metering systems. ...

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...

Practical nanoparticle shell thickness measurement

Nanoparticles – materials for which at least half the constituent particles are smaller than 100 nanometres – exhibit unusual physical and chemical properties. At such scales the influences of surface atoms can dominate, producing characteristics exploitable in healthcare, including for cancer treatments. A promising drug delivery strategy is to apply nanoparticles to encapsulate drugs for direct delivery to dise...

Industrial self-validating thermocouples

For optimal efficiency and product quality, high-value manufacturing processes are required to operate at very specific temperatures. Turbine blade heat-treatment, for example, is performed at temperatures above 1300 °C and held within narrow tolerances and temperature ranges, requiring furnaces to be controlled by several precious-metal thermocouples. A characteristic of thermocouples is calibration drift. Expos...

Expanded humidity measurement capabilities

Monitoring and control of humidity are essential requirements in a variety of Europe’s manufacturing industries. For example, humidity affects pharmaceutical and biochemical product quality and storage lifetimes. Most humidity sensors are based on capacitance measurement technologies that exhibit measurement drift, so regular calibrations are needed to maintain service quality. National Metrology Institutes (NMIs...