HiTeMS: A Pan-European Project to Solve High Temperature Measurement Problems in Industry

Abstract

In my previous article [1] I discussed some of the innovations that are taking place at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in improving high temperature measurement. Starting with the current defined temperature scale ITS-90 [2, 3], I introduced the concepts of high-temperature fixed points [4], new types of thermocouple for use to 1500°C [5, 6] and developments in self-validation for contact thermometry sensors [7] and showed that high temperature measurement is undergoing a quiet revolution throughout the measurement chain. Here I want to set the work at NPL in a broader context of developments in the European Union (EU), again led from NPL, through the European Metrology Research Programme project “HiTeMS: High Temperature Measurement Solutions for Industry”.

Sapphire fiber Bragg gratings for high temperature and dynamic temperature diagnostics

“…The optimization of high temperature sensors is an ongoing research activity, as presented in Ref. [1]. Noble metal thermocouples can be used in air up to 1700 C. However, diffusion processes can lead to changes in the thermal voltages and therefore to signal drift, which ultimately limits the practical lifetime of the device as it is being reported in Ref.…”

EMPRESS: A Pan-European Project to Enhance Manufacturing Process Efficiency through Improved Temperature Control

“…The project is titled ‘Enhanced process control through improved temperature measurement’ (EMPRESS) and is led by the United Kingdom’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL; Figure 1 ). Starting in May 2015, this 3-year project both builds on the recently completed European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) project HiTeMS, 1,2 which pioneered novel high-temperature measurement techniques and introduces a number of completely new approaches to reliable thermometry, with particular emphasis on techniques suitable for application in-process. The consortium comprises 18 partners from the metrology community, high-value manufacturing industry and academia, as shown in Table 1 .…”

Construction and in-situ characterisation of high-temperature fixed point cells devoted to industrial applications

“…In the framework of the EMRP joint research project (JRP) HiTeMS "High Temperature Metrology for Industrial Applications" several measurement problems in industrial contexts and at high temperature are being tackled [1,2]. The project is organised in five technical work packages and among these one work package, the fourth, is devoted to the implementation and testing of self-validation techniques for non-contact thermometry up to 2500 °C with a particular emphasis on the use of these techniques for the correction of window transmission changes while measuring temperature by radiation thermometry.…”