INRIM and NIM Cooperation on the Temperature Amplifier

In August 2006, a scientific cooperation agreement between the Italian National Research Institute of Metrology (INRiM) and the National Chinese Institute of Metrology (NIM) was signed. The cooperation will last at least 3 years and has several goals in the field of contact thermometry. First of all, the Chinese Thermometry Division intends to have a temperature amplifier (TA) operative in its laboratories. The cooperation will begin with the manufacture of two new gas-controlled heat pipes by INRiM for NIM: one for lower temperatures and the other for higher temperatures, up to the silver fixed point. The know-how required for the use of those devices will be transferred from INRiM to NIM, since some young Chinese researchers will spend several months working in the Gas-Controlled Heat Pipes Laboratory of INRiM, learning all working principles of the TA and of the involved devices, such as the pressure controller, pressure lines, heater control, and cooling systems. Next, the heat pipes will be filled at INRiM with the working fluids (mercury and sodium) and sent to NIM. NIM will manufacture part of the required accessory devices, such as furnaces, pressure lines, and cooling systems, while a new pressure controller will be manufactured at INRiM for NIM. The acquired and assembled new devices will allow NIM to cooperate in several research activities related to contact thermometry, such as phase transition studies, new temperature standard proposals, and calibration capabilities evaluation. The paper reports all details of this cooperation, the first results achieved, and those expected.