Advancement of air temperature metrology capabilities

Air temperature measurements made with contact sensors are critical across many different fields, from meteorological observation to manufacturing to the transport of food and fuel. However, despite their importance, there are no standardised specifications or guidelines for consistently conducting air temperature measurements or calibrating contact sensors. The use of different methods in different labs has rendered intercomparisons impossible and the lack of guidelines has led to a frequent underestimation of measurement errors, even in controlled settings.

This need has been highlighted by the EURAMET Technical Committee on Thermometry (TC-T), leading to an increase of research in this area. However, while collaborations such as EMRP projects MeteoMet and MeteoMet2 have addressed some specific aspects related to atmospheric air temperature measurements – such as sensor dynamics or wind and rain effects – challenges still persist for in situ setups.

This project will work to address these challenges by designing a sub-chamber system and corresponding procedure for testing and calibrating contact temperature sensors. This system will be mobile and universal, and simultaneously measure factors like temperature profile and humidity. This procedure will include methodologies for uncertainty evaluation and conducting interlaboratory comparisons. The project will then carry out an interlaboratory comparison, allowing the system to be characterised in a number of different laboratory setups and conditions. This work will form a basis from which further developments grow, enabling collaboration and improving the quality of air temperature measurements, which are vital across so many applications.