Our Partners

Internal Funded Partners

CEM

The Centro Español de Metrología (CEM) as Spanish National Institute of Metrology is responsible for the development, maintenance and dissemination of the measurement national standards.

Since 1998, Reference Gas laboratory at CEM has been carrying out activities related with Chemical Metrology such as preparation and certification of primary reference gas mixtures. Its facilities allows the preparation of gas mixtures by the gravimetric method according to ISO 6142-1 and a variety of equipment is used to perform the analysis of the mixtures as gas chromatography, FTIR and CRDS (Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy).

Its contribution in WP2 would involve the preparation of static gas mixtures in matrices of nitrogen, argon and hydrogen with amount fractions of water vapour down to 1 µmol mol-1. The mixtures will be used to investigate water vapour enhancement factor by the microwave-based method developed by UVa (University of Valladolid).

Contact: Andrés Rojo

CETIAT

CETIAT (Technical Centre for Heating, Air Conditioning and Air Handling Industries) was founded in 1960 in response to demand from manufacturers of HVAC and air handling systems. It provides a link between industry and research. As an expert in R&D, tests, calibration and training, CETIAT offers industrial firms access to resources and skills to help improve the design, development and manufacture of their products and processes, and to evaluate and improve their performance. The mission of CETIAT is to support industrial innovation, both within France and abroad. Our expertise covers societal issues such as: improving energy efficiency; developing the use of renewable energy sources; ensuring the quality of indoor environments: acoustics, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality; reducing environmental impacts.

Among its different test platforms, humidity laboratory is designated institute for the French metrology. Thus the laboratory has extensive experience in industrial calibrations, more than 650 per year, of many kind of hygrometers, namely used in low humidity range: chilled mirror, metal oxide impedance hygrometer, OFCEAS, TDLAS, ring down spectroscopy. Its skills deal also with the use, the validation and the intercomparison of primary humidity generators, as well as permeation dilution generators or mixed flows generator. LNE-CETIAT has been involved technical and scientific work in EMRP/EMPIR JRPs, such as ENV07 METEOMET, ENV58 METEOMET2 or 14IND11 HIT. The experience and the work performed during these projects will directly benefit and impact the project proposed here.

Contatc: Eric Georgin

CMI

CMI’s Thermal Units Dept. provides measurement services and undertakes research in temperature, humidity and thermal properties metrology. Humidity activities of the laboratory are focused on measurement standards in the field of dew/frost point and RH measurements. CMI will contribute to this project via addressing measurements of humidity at high pressure.

CMI has contributed to several EMRP/EMPIR JRPs relevant to this project.

Contact: Radek Strnad

INTA

Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) is a Spanish Public Research Organization (OPI) dependant of the Ministry of Defence. In addition to carrying out scientific research activities and developing systems and prototypes in its field of knowledge, it provides technological services to companies, universities and institutions. Acting as a technological center and the metrology laboratory of the Ministry of Defense.The Metrology and Calibration Centre is responsible for providing metrological traceability to the research, test and calibration laboratories of INTA and acts as the reference laboratory for the Armed Forces. In its role as Designated Institute for humidity and radio frequency and as an accredited laboratory, the metrology and calibration centre of INTA provides the measurement traceability by means of a comprehensive measurement and calibration service in the fields of thermodynamics, mechanics, electricity and time and frequency.

The expertise and competences to be shared in this JRP include: development and characterization of primary humidity standards, measurement techniques for humidity in gases and organization of key comparisons.

The INTA temperature and humidity laboratory has a getter purified nitrogen source gas and dry CO2-free air supplies to use with its primary generators. It has two MBW 373LX chilled mirror hygrometers, a Tiger Optics Halo H20 CRDS and a primary thermodynamic generator with published CMCs to -75 ºC frost-point. It also has a new primary thermodynamic generator that can operate down to -95 ºC frost point, that is currently being commissioned. It has extensive trace moisture standards including APIMS and gas dilution systems, magnetically coupled suspension balance and permeation tube generators with secondary dilution that are not available for this project due to the limited nature of participation in this project that will be centred in the patriation with the primary thermodynamic generator and associated transfer standards.

Contact: Robert Benyon

Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica

INRIM is the Italian National metrology institute. It realises, maintains, and develops the national standards of the International System (SI) of Units. INRIM research spans many areas from materials science to nanoscience, from studies on fundamental constants to applied research and engineering. INRIM has a broad experience in the development of humidity standards, precision measurement techniques for humidity in gases and materials, as well as acoustic/microwave methods for temperature and humidity measurements in gases.

INRIM has excellent facilities for trace water measurements relevant to the work carried in all technical WPs. They are used for supporting the development of traceable spectroscopic methods (WP1), for extending the range of trace water standards (WP2) as well as for demonstrating the application of such traceable methods in industrially-relevant environments (WP3).

Contact: Vito Fernicola

Le Cnam

CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) is a French institution of long-standing and deep scientific tradition, created in 1794. It is a public research and teaching institution and is the Designated Institute in France for the units of temperature, length, mass and luminous intensity. One of its laboratories has, since 2008, a joint laboratory with LNE (Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais), the “Laboratoire commun de métrologie LNE-CNAM”. It is funded by the French metrology system piloted by LNE in the frame of national research programs. The researchers of CNAM involved in this JRP work in the “Thermal Metrology” department of the joint laboratory LNE-Cnam, which is in charge of the realisation and the dissemination of the national temperature standards.

The expertise and competences to be shared in this JRP include: microwave techniques for hygrometry in gases and for temperature measurements, primary thermometry (Acoustic Gas Thermometry, Radiometric Temperature Measurements...).

CNAM has considerable expertise in microwave cavities for humidity and temperature measurements in gases, in projects related to the measurement of the Boltzmann. Relevant to this project, CNAM contributed to EMRP ENV07 and ENV58 by developing a microwave-based hygrometer. These competencies are relevant to the work carried in WP2. CNAM will upgrade its microwave-based trace water analyser to perform measurements of the enhancement of water vapour in nitrogen and argon in the frost-point temperature range between 80 °C and -30 °C at selected pressures from 0.1 MPa to above 1 MPa using the facility developed in this JRP by LNE-CETIAT.

Contact: Nicola Chiodo

MIKES Metrology

VTT MIKES is a metrology facility for SI unit realisations, high-accuracy measurements, measurement innovations and calibration technologies. It provides high-end measurement innovations, capabilities and tools for demonstrating quality of measurements, and worldwide recognised measurements and calibrations. VTT has a long experience in developing primary humidity standards and precision measurement techniques for humidity in gases and materials. VTT contributes to the PROMETH2O by developing humidity standard for calibrating radiosondes. These competencies are relevant for developing a primary humidity standard for ultra-trace water vapour in WP1.

VTT will extend its saturation-based primary standard generator to -100 °C to generate humid gas mixtures in nitrogen and air. Moreover, VTT with the collaboration of UNICAS will develop numerical tools to estimate the water vapour enhancement factor and its uncertainty in nitrogen, argon and hydrogen in the temperature range above -90 °C at selected pressures from 0.1 MPa to above 1 MPa. VTT has also been actively involved in several past EMRP/EMPIR projects related to humidity.

Contact: Shahin Tabandeh

PTB

As the National Metrology Institute of Germany, PTB is Germany's highest authority for correct and reliable measurements. PTB’s humidity working group 3.41 is focussed on WP2 and based on its expertise in unique, coulometric (i.e. electrolysis-based) trace humidity generators and thermodynamic humidity generation in different matrix gases.

PTB’s key personnel has a long-standing record in EMRP and EMPIR activities (up to consortium coordination) and is active in EURAMET TC-T and TC-MC in subcommittee Humidity respectively Gas Analysis, as well as in CCT and CCQM.

Contact: Volker Ebert

TUBITAK

TUBITAK UME, which acts as the reference for measurements conducted in Turkey and is the highest national authority in this field, aims to ensure the reliability of all measurements conducted in Turkey, to integrate the measurements into the international system. Besides, the institute develops and maintains national measurement reference standards and establishes their traceability to SI units.

TUBITAK-UME Thermodynamic Metrology Laboratory, comprises of Humidity Laboratory, Radiation Temperature Laboratory, and Thermophysical Properties Division. Currently, the Thermodynamic Metrology Laboratory along with the UME Gas Metrology Laboratory have joint research activities within the scope of WP1. The group will improve the existing ATR-FT-IR system to measure trace water measurements in nitrogen and argon gases in the range from 5 ppm to 50 ppb level. The expected relative uncertainty is about 3 % and 8 %, respectively. The validation of the upgraded system will performed by using home-made reference humidity generator and different gas mixtures.

Contact: Seda Oğuz Aytekin

University of Ljubljana

UL, Laboratory of Metrology and Quality (LMK) from the University of Ljubljana (UL) is the Slovenian DI for thermodynamic temperature and humidity. The group has over 20 years of experience in developing humidity standards, measurement principles and sensors. Its primary standard for humidity has one of the best CMCs in the world, according to the BIPM KCDB. LMK has partnered in over ten EMRP and EMPIR projects.

In the course of PROMETH2O, UL will extend the lower limit of reference frost-point temperatures to ‑90 °C and at pressures up to 1 MPa, which will enable the investigation of water vapour enhancement in nitrogen and argon in this range. UL will also provide advice for the validation steps and will evaluate the test bed measurements performed by Qrometric.

Contact: Domen Hudoklin

VSL – Dutch Metrology Instiutte

VSL is the national metrology Institute of the Netherlands. It disseminates metrological traceability to industry through calibrations and reference materials for a wide range of quantities in various fields, including mass, pressure, amount–of–substance (chemistry), flow, temperature and humidity. In WP2, VSL will set up a permeation system, based on a passivated magnetic suspension balance, to generate water amount fractions in nitrogen and hydrogen up to 5 µmol/mol following ISO 6145-10 and ISO 6145-7. VSL will perform independent measurements of the enhancement of water vapour in nitrogen and argon in the frost-point temperature range between ‑80 °C and -30 °C at pressures of 0.1-1 MPa using its upgraded facilities.

VSL will lead WP3 (Demonstration at industrial test beds) and participate in the onsite calibration of a trace-water process sensor in hydrogen at the FHa hydrogen production facility and in the measurements at the production facility of Nippon Gases.

Contact: Gerard Nieuwenkamp

External funded partners

DTU

DTU is recognized internationally as a leading university in the areas of the technical and natural sciences, renowned for our business-oriented approach, our focus on sustainability, and out amazing study environment.DTU has a broad experience and knowledge of optical and spectroscopic methods and sensor development.

DTU has excellent experimental facilities for optical spectroscopic from far-UV to far-IR suitable for a broad range of gases and applications. Facilities include high-temperature/pressure and long/short gas cells, high-resolution IR/UV spectrometers and UV/IR light sources. These capabilities are used for the development of a far-UV system for trace water (WP1) and its demonstration in relevant industrial environments (WP3).

Contact: Alexander Fateev

Nippon Gas

Nippon Gases is a historical company, among the first in Italy to operate in the industrial gases sector. Founded in 1920 today is part of Nippon Gases Europe, part of Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation (NSHD), a large international company with more than 100 years of experience in the gas industry. Nippon Gases is one of the main supplier of Specialty Gas, materials for their use in the production and distribution systems. The concepts of total quality, safety and environmental protection have brought great changes in the use of analytical techniques: especially has grown the importance of quality control, process, environmental monitoring.

Nippon Gases is proud to be part of this project, as for us in the production of ultrapure gases the percentage of moisture is a determining factor.

Contact: Stefano Boggio

Qrometric

Qrometric is a UK metrology company specialising in product and system innovation. Our objective is to deliver products and services that solve specific project challenges or meet needs not ideally resolved by existing technology or thinking. Our speciality is the measurement and calibration of temperature and humidity.

At Qrometric we’re not satisfied that industrial metrology has reached the levels of performance that today’s high-performance processes need to achieve the best possible efficiency and product quality. Our application knowledge and technical expertise is based on a combined experience of more than 60 years in metrology, instrumentation, fundamental research and product development.

Contact: Ned Hawes

SUN

At the, the Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” enrols nearly 25.000 students. More than 1000 persons constitute the permanent staff in terms of professors and researchers. At the Department of Mathematics and Physics, a wide spectrum of highly qualified research activities are carried out, in the framework of several research projects, mostly funded by the European Union, the Italian Ministry for University and Research, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and other funding agencies.

At the Department of mathematics and Physics, the AMP (Atoms, Molecules and Precision measurements) Group is active in the field of quantitative spectroscopy and precision measurements on atomic and molecular systems for fundamental studies and applications. It boasts a long lasting and well-recognized expertise in ultra-sensitive cavity-enhanced spectroscopy. The contribution to PROMETH2O consists in the development of a compact cavity ring-down spectrometer, referenced to an optical frequency comb, for traceable measurements of water vapour in H2 and N2 from 5 ppm down to 50 ppb with standard relative uncertainty between 3% and 8% and operation pressure of 10 kPa.

Contact: Livio Gianfrani

University of Cassino

The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (DICeM) of the “University of Cassino and Southern Lazio” (UNICLAM), is involved in several research topics such as energetic, thermo-fluid-dynamic, heat transfer, thermal comfort, metrological, and environmental measurement issues. In particular, the researchers applied both experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approaches to study and deepened complex case-studies like: velocity field measurement in local ventilation systems, mass and energy transfer in porous media (design of geothermal heat exchanger, modelling of reactant gases in porous electrodes of fuel cells), thermal fluxes in the proximity of complex systems (combustion chambers, climatic chambers, fuel cells,…), exposure to airborne particles in different microenvironments (both indoor and outdoor microenvironments).

The metrological skills involve mechanical (mass, length, force) and thermo-fluid-dynamic (temperature, pressure, flow rate, thermal flux, volume, laser-based velocity measurement techniques such as PIV) measures. The metrological activity of the RU is focused on the design of complex measurement techniques and the evaluation of their uncertainty budgets.

Contact: Fausto Arpino

UVA

The University of Valladolid (UVa) is one of the oldest institutions in Europe. The UVa manages around 850 research projects financed through competitive public R+D+i calls, and approx. 500 contracts and agreements aimed at transferring knowledge and technology. UVa has a long experience in international projects in most research disciplines. UVA is awarded with the seal “HR Excellence in Research” by EC.

UVa TERMOCAL has over 30 years of research experience in 1) Fundamental Metrology; 2) Thermophysical Properties and Phase Behaviour of multicomponent fluid mixtures over wide ranges of conditions. In partnership with CEM and INTA, TERMOCAL works in PROMETH2O WP2. UVa will upgrade its microwave-based frost point hygrometer to perform measurements of the enhancement of water vapour in N2, H2 and Ar. in the frost-point temperature range between 75 °C and -30 °C at selected pressures from 0.1 MPa to above 1 MPa.

Contact: José Juan Segovia and David Vega Maza

Not Funded Partners

MBW

MBW Calibration AG is a privately held company located in Wettingen (AG), Switzerland. High-precision dew-point mirror hygrometers and humidity generators have been developed and produced. MBW applies the benefits of more than 50 years of experience, to the improvement of humidity measurement and calibration systems.MBW’s instruments are used as transfer standards by many National Metrology Institutes all around the world. Its laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for humidity and temperature calibration and was appointed in 2014, by the Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), as the Swiss Designated Institute (DI) for humidity.

As the Swiss DI for humidity, MBW provides the link to the International Metrology System, disseminating these standards to provide traceability to Swiss industry. MBW’s expertise in modern digital electronics, combined with extensive knowledge in fundamental dew-point mirror technology, results in high quality, innovative products.

Contact: Daniel Mutter

Vaisala

Vaisala is a global leader in the field of industrial humidity measurements with more than 80 years of experience in manufacturing humidity sensors. Brand of Vaisala is typically seen in the most demanding humidity measurement applications including e.g. Mars rovers. Vaisala also has in-house ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration laboratory. During the past years Vaisala has actively participated in EMRP MeteoMet and EMPIR 14IND11 HIT.

Within the ProMetH2O project Vaisala will bring its know-how from industrial humidity measurements to help transfer project achievements from scientific laboratories to industry. Also, Vaisala’s novel capacitive humidity sensors will be introduced in the testbeds during the project.

Contact: Hannu Sairanen

Steering Board / International Organisations