An Introduction to NPL and Metrology Dr Seton

An Introduction to NPL and Metrology Dr Seton Bennett Deputy Director Monday 3 rd July 2006

What is metrology? Metrology is measurement at work It has (almost) nothing to do with the weather!

Why is metrology important? * Accurate, consistent measurement enables fair trade * It guarantees manufacturing quality and supports * * innovation It makes an annual contribution of £ 5 B to wealth creation It underpins our safety, our health and our quality of life It facilitates environmental management It provides for effective regulation 3

Measurement has always been important “The Lord abominates a false balance, but a just weight is His delight” (Proverbs 11: 1) “There shall be one measure throughout the realm” (Magna Carta) “You can only make as well as you can measure” (Whitworth) “When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge of it is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind” (Lord Kelvin)

Historical examples Metrology requirements grew from the need to trade commodities locally, but…… for the Egyptians building construction was also important - a reliable measure of the cubit was essential! The Romans also undertook major construction projects. The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct built ~2000 years ago to bring water 50 km to Nîmes down a total gradient of only 17 metres (a gradient of 1: 3000!!).

Metrology in law in England Recognition of the need for standardised measures in England. King John’s Magna Carta in the year of 1215 (35 th clause) “There shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn (the London quarter), throughout the kingdom. There shall also be a standard width of dyed cloth, russett, and haberject, namely two ells within the selvedges. Weights are to be standardised similarly”.

US Constitution What’s more, the United States recognised the same need. The US Constitution Article I, section 8, clause 5, vested the US Congress with the power to… “… coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures”

Who needs good measurements? * Industry * Science * Doctors * Regulators * You and I

Metrology for industry, trade and commerce * Design and develop new products * Manufacture of products that meet specifications * Ensure compatibility and interoperability * Improve production processes * Reduce scrap * Ensure fair and equitable trade * It is estimated that 80% of traded goods are based on standards and regulations where conformity assessment and hence measurements may be required. * Aim of “One standard, one test, accepted everywhere”

Manufacturing compatibility and interoperability are international issues The new Airbus A 380 is manufactured in four countries and assembled in France. The wings are being made at Broughton in North Wales.

Wrong measurements can be disastrous “Mission specifications called for using metric units, but the Lockheed group sent navigation information in English units. The mix-up meant that Lockheed engineers modelled navigation with pounds force (the English unit for measuring thruster impulse) while JPL did its calculations in newtons (the metric measurement). One pound force is equivalent to 4. 45 newtons. ” (Report on the loss of NASA’s Mars Orbiter spacecraft)

Science needs good measurements * To test hypotheses and verify theories * To establish consistency of results * To determine fundamental constants * To investigate susceptibility of phenomena to external influences

Doctors need good measurements * To protect citizens * For medical treatment and diagnosis * To ensure safe use of ionising radiation in medical exposure through accurate dose measurement * To exploit developments in technology with potential for improved diagnostics and treatment of tumours * To accelerate the adoption of new practices with increased need for accurate dose measurement and the development of new dose measurement and calibration services

NPL’s diagnostic and mammographic x-ray exposure facilities * 40 million x-rays per year * Minimise exposure doses * NPL simulates clinical beam qualities

Regulators need good measurements * Growth of technical regulations (trade, health & safety, environment) * Requirement for robust specifications without creating barriers to trade * Appropriate methods, procedures and standards are needed * Measurements should be traceable to the SI (where feasible) * Uncertainty of measurement and its impact often not considered * Appropriate research should precede regulation, not be seen as a solution when problems arise or requirements are challenged

What is the NPL? * UK National Measurement Institute * 106 years old * GOCO (Government Owned - Contractor Operated) * Managed by NPL Management Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Group plc * ~570 permanent staff * Annual turnover ~ £ 60 M * ~80% of income from DTI

NPL: History Demand for a National Physical Laboratory grew towards the end of the nineteenth century. “a public institution …. for standardizing and verifying instruments, for testing materials, and for the determination of physical constants” (Terms of reference for the Treasury Committee set up by Lord Salisbury in 1897 in response to the BA lobby for NPL)

NPL’s Development (1) 1900 Founded and operated under The Royal Society 1910 -1920 Expansion: aerodynamics, ship design, radioactivity 1920 -1935 Steady Growth: “new physics” – quantum phenomena, discovery of the electron 1935 -1950 Redirection – DSIR: radar, mathematics, computing NEL formed

NPL’s Development (2) 1950 -1980 Science Push – MINTECH: atomic clocks, ACE, spectroscopy, lasers, Josephson junctions Aeronautics transferred to RAE NMI formed 1990 Executive Agency of DTI Industrial mission 1995 Government Owned Contractor Operated

The new NPL * PFI project: bought out by DTI in 2004 * To enable high quality work * 36, 000 square metres * High technical specification * Some close control rooms * Flexible to accommodate future change * Recognises cross-linkages * Occupation to be completed in 2006/2007

Scientific Criteria

What does NPL do? * Development & maintenance of measurement standards; * R&D for government on measurement; * Provision of measurement services for customers; * Contract R&D and consultancy for a range of customers in the UK public and private sectors and abroad; * Programme, promotion, and project management; * Representational work on national and international committees for standards and measurement; * Knowledge and technology transfer activities.

NPL and Measurement Standards NPL’s coverage is comprehensive: * base units of the SI (s, m, kg, A, K, cd, mole);

The kilogram is the unit of mass; it is equal to the mass of the international prototype of the kilogram.

NPL and Measurement Standards NPL’s coverage is comprehensive: * base units of the SI (s, m, kg, A, K, cd, mole); * derived units; * ionising radiation & radioactivity; * materials standards and the UK measurement infrastructure for materials; * standards and measurement techniques for chemistry and biological analysis; * development and maintenance of techniques to underpin standards and quality measures in IT.

NMS research programmes for DTI SI Unit Based Programmes Derived Unit Programmes Market Sector Focused Programmes National Co-ordination Programmes Length - m Materials Thermal - K Optical - cd Legal Knowledge Transfer Ionising Radiation Flow Acoustics Photonics International Biotechnology UKAS VAM - mol Electrical - A Time - s Mass - kg Support Quantum Programmes Software support Faraday

NPL at the heart of the National Measurement NPL System Research & Development of Standards >5, 000 calibrations pa UKAS >2, 000 accreditations ~400 UKAS Accredited Laboratories >700, 000 calibrations pa Industry and Other Users 1, 000, 000 s of traceable measurements pa

Welcome to NPL!