'Super technical' metrology lab inuagurated in Delhi

In what will aid the measurement of base units in a precise way, a revamped state-of-the-art metrology laboratory has been inaugurated here, which is being touted as one of the few such "super-technical" facilities in the world.
Dedicated to the nation by Union Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan, at a ceremony at National Physical Laboratory (NPL) here, the facility is insulated from vibrations and can remain so even during an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale, officials said.
Also, the structure is built in a way that temperature and humidity will remain stable across the facility, which will measure base units of seven types -- metre, kilogram, second, Kelvin (for thermodynamic temperature), ampere (current), Candela (luminous intensity) and mole (amount of substance).

"This happens to be a super-technical building wherein the temperature and humidity will remain almost stable, helping researchers do measurements in the most correct manner," said Dr RK Kotnala, the project co-ordinator.
Also, the structure can be shifted from one place to another just like how a tree is transplanted, officials said.
"The structure has come on a graft, beneath which is a sand layer. This isolates the entire building from vibrations providing most effective condition to work on measurements.

"Plus, another specialty of the building is that it can be relocated like a tree in transplantation," Kotnala said.
He said that the average temperature across the different laboratories, around 21 in number, will be kept at around 22 degrees Celsius and may vary by +/- 0.5 degrees.

The humidity levels will be maintained at around 50 per cent throughout the day, he said. NPL has used nitrile sheets on the walls of the laboratories to ensure heat from one laboratory does not pass to another.