Construction of the international time scale

The Main Metrological Center of the National Service for Time, Frequency and Determination of Earth Rotation Parameters (GMTs of GSVCh) contributes to the construction of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by continually upgrading and improving the technical facilities of which the State Primary Standard for Time and Frequency is composed.

Data from the timekeeping laboratory is transmitted on a daily basis to the BIPM server. These data and data from other national time laboratories (about 60 in total) provide the basis for the calculation of UTC — the internationally- recognized primary time and frequency standard.

In 2019, the national time scale produced by GMTs of GSVCh became one of the three most accurate time scales in the world.

AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL TEMPERATURE SCALE IN TERMS OF THE BOLTZMANN CONSTANT

Within the framework of the international project Real-K run by EURAMET, VNIIFTRI is taking part in studies on practical realization of the new definition of the kelvin.

By 2019, VNIIFTRI has developed an acoustic gas thermometry facility designed for highly accurate determination of thermodynamic temperature from the speed of sound in gaseous helium. In 2017, the Boltzmann constant was measured with high accuracy, and the achieved value is in agreement with the values from other metrological institutes — NIST, LNE, INRIM, NPL — and with the value fixed in 2018 for the new definition of the kelvin. In 2017 through 2019, measurements were made of the deviation of temperature defined by the current temperature scale (ITS-90) from thermodynamic temperature at a set of points.

Work on the study of the deviation of temperature defined by the International Temperature Scale (ITS-90) from thermodynamic temperature is ongoing.

KEY MEASUREMENT COMPARISONS UNDER THE CIPM MRA

As one of Russia’s major centers of state standards and a national scientific metrological institute, VNIIFTRI regularly takes part in international key measurement comparisons. Through these comparisons, the level of accuracy of VNIIFTRI standards is determined and verified and the sizes of units can be passed on, according to established hierarchy schemes, down to working and other measuring instruments.

The CIPM MRA is an arrangement, signed by national metrological institutes, for mutual recognition of national measurement standards and calibration and measurement certificates.

Following the results of international key comparisons, information about VNIIFTRI calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) is entered in the BIPM KCDB. CMCs characterize the quality of the metrological services which are offered to customers on a regular basis.

As of 2019, VNIIFTRI has a total of 310 CMC entries in the BIPM KCDB, corresponding to various fields of measurement.

COOMET KEY AND SUPPLEMENTARY COMPARISONS

VNIIFTRI also takes part in measurement comparisons of the reginal metrological organization Euro-Asian Cooperation of National Metrological Institutions (COOMET).

Currently the COOMET’s membership comprises metrological institutions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, DPR of Korea, Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The program of comparisons is published at http://www.coomet.org

PARTICIPATION IN TECHNICAL COMMITTEES OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Within the context of its participation in international metrological organizations, VNIIFTRI coordinates and takes part in the activities of their technical committees.

COOMET Technical Committees::

• TC 1.11 Time and Frequency
• TC 1.2 Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration
• TC 1.3 Electricity and Magnetism
• TC 1.3 Mass and Related Quantities (SC 1.6.4 Hardness)
• TC 1.9 Ionizing Radiation and Radioactivity
• TC 1.12 Reference Materials

ISO Technical Committees:

• ISO/ТС 43 Acoustics/SC 3 Underwater Acoustics/WG 1 (Measurement of underwater sound from ships), WG 2 (Underwater acoustical terminology), WG 3 (Measurement of radiated noise from marine pile driving)
• ISO/TC 164 Mechanical Testing of Metals/SC 3 Hardness Testing.
• ISO/TC 281 Fine Bubble Technology
• ISO/TC24/SC 4 “Particle characterization” 

OIML Technical Committees::

• OIML TC 17/ SC3: pH-metry