EMPIR Capacity Building project enables improved thermal metrology in Europe

Countries work together to bring improved temperature measurements to emerging NMIs

EMPIR Capacity Building projects aim to support the participating organisations to develop their metrological research expertise, and are one of the EURAMET tools that foster the integration of all areas of Europe into a metrology landscape that is coherent, efficient and sustainable.

Completed EMPIR project ‘Developing traceable capabilities in thermal metrology’ (14RPT05, Eura-Thermal) improved the availability of facilities in the field of thermal metrology such as high temperature contact thermometry, non-contact thermometry and thermophysical properties characterisation to emerging European NMIs, where such access was previously limited. The enhanced measurement capability provided through the project will help to sustain the economic competitiveness of European member states.

This is one of the first projects with participants from Croatia, Serbia and Ireland.

Specific project achievements were:

Improved accuracy of high temperature measurements by contact thermometry in participating NMIs with previously limited research capacity (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Serbia)
Calibrated transfer standards for radiation thermometry in NMIs establishing a research capability in this field (Croatia, Hungary, Republic of Serbia, Ireland)
Improved contact thermometry metrology facilities at the NMIs in Croatia, Republic of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Improved facilities and methods for the calibration of radiation thermometers at the NMIs in Ireland, Republic of Serbia, Croatia
Upgraded capabilities for thermal conductivity measurements at the NMIs in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of Serbia
Process underway for some of the participating NMIs to contribute to or extend their officially declared measurement capabilities
Bosnia and Herzegovina to progressively provide calibration services at the primary level

Project Coordinator Jean-Remy Filtz from LNE said

‘Accurate thermal measurements are crucial in industry for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. Use of instrumentation to monitor thermal measurements in industrial processes as well as the measurement of thermophysical properties of materials for modelling, predicting or improving thermal performance of products is becoming increasingly common. Due to this use, accurate measurements traceable to the SI and to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) are a growing requirement.
This project focused on the capacity building of emerging NMIs or DIs was a very rich experience, for at least three main reasons:
- There was a real willingness to work together and share the respective technical and scientific experiences.
- The strong motivation and ambition of the partners for developing their own laboratory towards a better metrological level
- The project was driven by the need for rapidly constructing practical solutions useful for industry. Even if the initial targets were really ambitious, each partner utilised their respective local capabilities to propose ‘smart’ approaches for addressing step by step, achievable objectives.’

This EMPIR project is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States.

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