SLBS NMI NSB and NLMS SIM T F
SLBS / NMI, NSB and NLMS SIM T & F Workshop March 2010, Lima, Peru Presenter: Anselm Gittens, SLBS
About Saint Lucia Mountainous island with area of 616 km 2 Ø Population 160 000 (in 2001) Ø Main economic activities are tourism, financial services, telecommunications services, agriculture, agro-processing, construction, beverage production and manufacturing Ø Independent country in the British Commonwealth Ø Official language English but French Kweyol is also spoken by the majority Ø
The Pitons/World Heritage Site
HISTORY Ø Ø Ø Ø 1911: Weights & Measures Ordinance gives Police Force responsibility for weights & measures 1970 s: Price Control Dept (now Consumer Affairs) commences weights & measures activities 1994: SLBS begins joint verification with Consumer Affairs Dept. Four employees. 2000: Metrology Act No. 17/ 2000 repeals Ordinance 2001: Metrology Regulations No. 113/2001. Eleven employees. 2004: Relocated to new building. Area of 929 m 2 2010: Staff of 22 persons, three in Metrology Dept
SLBS Exterior
Strategic Goals 2010/2011 Ø Align our metrology programmes with national economic and social priorities Ø Sensitize the private and public sector policy makers to the importance of metrology in trade and industry Ø Advance the metrication of Saint Lucia (through Metrication Board)
Programmes Ø Pattern Approval of Measuring Instruments Ø Verification & Calibration of Measuring Devices Ø Measurement Assurance Ø Measurement Disputes Investigation
Verification/Calibration & Measurement Capabilities Ø Initially developed to meet legal metrology requirements for commerce, health, safety and environment Ø Growing demand by local industry for verification/calibration services and testing Ø Prohibitive regional transportation costs have favoured development of local NLMS/NMI capability
SLBS Capabilities Ø Mass (weight): verification/calibration of weights, laboratory, counter/platform & hopper scales, weighbridges Ø Volume: verification of fuel dispensers & flow meters, test measures Ø Force: verification of compression machines
Customer calibration & testing requests/needs Ø Ø Ø Ø Temperature: thermometers (for labs & food industry) Pressure: manometers (on boilers), barometers, aviation Electrical: digital multimeters, energy meters Torque: torque wrenches Dimensional: gauge blocks, micrometers, EDMs Volume: large storage tanks, flowmeters Mass: large mass (hopper scales) Chemical: spectrometers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, water quality, biochemical, CEHI
Time & Frequency Ø NMI should have national time & frequency standard Ø Provide traceability to power company, telecommunications providers and regulators (ECTEL and NTRC) Ø Calibration of time & frequency equipment
Utilities Ø Power company maintains grid frequency at 50 Hz +/- 3 % through System Control Centre equipped with SCADA and GPS receiver Ø Telecommunications providers’ time reference through fibre optic network and interconnection
Telecommunications Regulators Ø ECTEL responsible for spectrum management, licensing, interconnection and other policy issues across five sovereign OECS countries Ø NTRC responsible for enforcement and type approval in individual countries Ø NTRC does spectrum monitoring through spectrum analyzer
T & F Challenges for SLBS Ø Temperature stability of laboratory Ø Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) vs generator Ø Need to demonstrate relevance and impact of time & frequency capability Ø Personnel
Way Forward Ø SIM Time & Frequency Measurement System donation through SIM Time & Frequency Working Group Ø Installation & commissioning of SIM T&F Measurement System Ø Active participation in SIM T&F Network and TFWG Ø CMCs on BIPM KCDB Ø Provide T&F traceability to industry Ø “Time by the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards is…”
ØTHANK YOU ØGRACIAS ØMERCI
- Slides: 16