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METROLOGY|mechanicalengineeringstudymaterials

mechanicalengineeringstudymaterials
mechmotivatestheworld

METROLOGY
Metrologyisthescienceofmeasurement.Metrologyincludesalltheoreticalandpracticalaspectsof
measurement.ThewordcomesfromGreek(metron),measure[1]+(logos).
WhatisMetrology?

Alotofpeopleconfusemetrologywithmeteorology,becausethelatteriswellknownfromthe
dailyweatherforecastsinthenewspapers,TVandradio.Metrologyisthescienceofmeasurement
anditsapplication.Itincludesallaspectsboththeoreticalandpracticalwithreferenceto
measurements.Whatevertheiruncertainty,andinwhateverfieldsofscienceortechnologythey
occur.
WhyisMetrologyimportant?

Measurementshavebeencarriedoutforaslongascivilizationhasexisted.Metrologyisbasicto
theeconomicandsocialdevelopmentofacountry.Itisconcernedwithprovidingaccurate
measurementswhichimpactoureconomy,health,safetyandgeneralwellbeing.
Wepracticallymeasureeverythingweencountere.g.theweightofourfood,thevolumeofour
fuel,thedistancebetweentwopoints,thetemperatureoftheroom,thenoiseattheworkplace,
andthelistgoesonandon.Wrongmeasurementresultsleadtowrongdecisions,whichcanhave
seriousconsequences,costingalotofmoneyandevenlives.Thereforeitisimportanttohave
accurateandreliablemeasurements.
HowisMetrologyusedineverydaylife?

Usingtheanalogy,withoutmetrology,lifewouldbeverydifficult.Imaginedoingthefollowing
without(Metrology)measurement:
Goingtothegasstationtofillupyourvehicleandtryingtofigureoutwhetheryouaregettingan
exactlitreofgasforthepriceyoupaid.
Thescannersatgrocerystoresincorrectlyreadingthebarcodesonitemsyouarepurchasing.
Gettingyouroutsourcedpartsfromonecountrytofindouttheydonotfitthematingpartmade
inanothercountry.
Overfilling(alosstoyou)orunderfilling(illegalbytradelaws)jarsofpeanutbutterinyour
productionfacility.
Breakingarecordatasportingeventbymillisecondsandnotreceivingcredit.
Administeringalifesavingmedicationwhenanoverdosecanhavelifethreateningimplications
andanunderdosecanhavenoeffects.
Havingvisioncorrectionsurgeryusingalasertechniquewithoutknowingwhetherthelasers
powerisaccurate.
WhatarethedifferenttypesofMetrology?

Metrologyisaverybroadfieldandmaybedividedintothreesubfields:
Scientificorfundamentalmetrologyconcernstheestablishmentofquantitysystems,unit
systems,unitsofmeasurement,thedevelopmentofnewmeasurementmethods,realisationof
measurementstandardsandthetransferoftraceabilityfromthesestandardstousersinsociety.
Appliedorindustrialmetrologyconcernstheapplicationofmeasurementscienceto
manufacturingandotherprocessesandtheiruseinsociety,ensuringthesuitabilityof
measurementinstruments,theircalibrationandqualitycontrolofmeasurements.
Legalmetrologyconcernsregulatoryrequirementsofmeasurementsandmeasuring
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instrumentsfortheprotectionofhealth,publicsafety,theenvironment,enablingtaxation,
protectionofconsumersandfairtrade.
WhoisBIPM?

TheInternationalBureauofWeightsandMeasuresBIPM)wassetupbytheMetreConvention
andhasitsheadquartersnearParis,France.ItisfinancedjointlybyitsMemberStatesand
operatesundertheexclusivesupervisionoftheInternationalCommitteeforWeightsand
Measures(CIPM).
TheCIPMismadeupofeighteenindividuals,eachfromadifferentMemberStateunderthe
MetreConvention.Itsprincipaltaskistopromoteworldwideuniformityinunitsof
measurementanditdoesthisbydirectactionorbysubmittingdraftresolutionstotheGeneral
Conference.
TheBIPMmandateistoprovidethebasisforasingle,coherentsystemofmeasurements
throughouttheworld,traceabletotheInternationalSystemofUnits(SI).Thistasktakesmany
forms,fromdirectdisseminationofunits(asinthecaseofmassandtime)tocoordination
throughinternationalcomparisonsofnationalmeasurementstandards(asinelectricityand
ionizingradiation).
HowdoImakeagoodMeasurement?

Goodmeasurementreliesontheintegrityofthemeasuringequipmentused.Itisoftennoteasyto
measurecorrectly.Werelyoncomplicatedinstrumentsandifwedonotunderstandtheir
operationalprinciplesorknowhowtousethem,wecaneasilygetwrongresults.Thetaskof
metrology,andindeedthejobofametrologist,istoachievethedependablemeasurementresults
thatareneededforensuringqualityandefficiencyofproductioninindustry,fairnessintrade,
consumerprotection,healthandsafetyofhumanandanimallifeandprotectionofthe
environment.Tothisend,metrologistsarecontinuouslyinvolvedinthedevelopmentofnew
measurementtechniques,instrumentationandprocedures,tosatisfytheeverincreasingdemand
foraccuracy,reliabilityandspeedofmeasurements.
WhataretheSIunits?Whydoweneedthem?

TheSIisacoherentsystemofunitsforthemeasurementofallphysicalquantities.Itwasstarted
officiallyinFrancein1799.Therearesevenbaseunitswhicharegenerallydefinedandrealised
usingmethodslinkedasmuchaspossibletoaphysicalphenomenonthatisnaturalandhighly
reproducible.
TheestablishmentofSIunitshasledtobigproductivityimprovements.Ithasfacilitatedthe
universaluseofthemetricsystemofmeasurementandmadeitmucheasierforcompaniesto
importandexportpartsandmodelsspecifiedaccordingtotheirmeasurement.
TableoftheSevenSIBaseUnits
BaseQuantity

Name

Symbol

Length

metre

Mass

kilogram

kg

Time

second

Electriccurrent

ampere

Thermodynamictemperature

kelvin

Amountofsubstance

mole

mol

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Luminousintensity

candela

cd

WhatisCalibration?

Goodmeasurementreliesontheintegrityofthemeasuringequipmentused.Nomatterhow
sophisticatedmeasuringequipmentis,itdegradeswithtimeduetothermal,mechanical,
electrical,andenvironmentaleffects.Thisdegradationaffectsthereliabilityofthemeasurements
andmaybeoffsetbyaprocessknownascalibration.Calibrationissimplythecomparisonofthe
measuringinstrumentorequipmentsperformancetoareferencestandardofknownaccuracy,to
determinetheerrorsandadjustmentrequired.Properlycalibratedequipmentensuresthequality
ofthemeasurementsmadeandprovidesconfidencethatthecompanysproductsandservices
meetcustomerspecificationsallovertheworld.
WhatisTraceability?

Thebasicconceptbehindcalibrationisthatthemeasuringequipmentshouldbetestedagainsta
standardofhigheraccuracy.Thesecalibrationsneedtobedoneonaplanned,periodicbasiswith
evidenceofthecomparisonresultsbeingrecordedandmaintained.Therecordsmustinclude
identificationofthespecificstandardsused(whichmustbewithintheirassignedcalibration
interval),aswellasthemethods/conditionsusedinthecalibrationprocess.Theserecordsshould
demonstrateanunbrokenchainofcomparisonsthatendsattheagencyresponsiblefor
maintaininganddevelopingacountrysmeasurementstandards(nowgenericallyknownasa
nationalmetrologyinstitute).Thisdemonstrablelinkagetonationalstandards,withknown
accuracy,isknownastraceability.
TRANSIDUCER

Atransducerisanelectronicdevicethatconvertsenergyfromoneformtoanother.Common
examplesincludemicrophones,loudspeakers,thermometers,positionandpressuresensors,and
antenna.Althoughnotgenerallythoughtofastransducers,photocells,LEDs(lightemitting
diodes),andevencommonlightbulbsaretransducers.
Efficiencyisanimportantconsiderationinanytransducer.Transducerefficiencyisdefinedasthe
ratioofthepoweroutputinthedesiredformtothetotalpowerinput.Mathematically,ifP
representsthetotalpowerinputandQrepresentsthepoweroutputinthedesiredform,thenthe
efficiencyE,asaratiobetween0and1,isgivenby:
E=Q/P
IfE%representstheefficiencyasapercentage,then:
E%=100Q/P
Notransduceris100percentefficientsomepowerisalwayslostintheconversionprocess.
Usuallythislossismanifestedintheformofheat.Someantennasapproach100percent
efficiency.Awelldesignedantennasuppliedwith100wattsofradiofrequency(RF)power
radiates80or90wattsintheformofanelectromagneticfield.Afewwattsaredissipatedasheat
intheantennaconductors,thefeedlineconductorsanddielectric,andinobjectsnearthe
antenna.Amongtheworsttransducers,intermsofefficiency,areincandescentlamps.A100watt
bulbradiatesonlyafewwattsintheformofvisiblelight.Mostofthepowerisdissipatedasheata
smallamountisradiatedintheUV(ultraviolet)spectrum.

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