The Euromet Project 772 on the Temperature Amplifier, from Its Proposal to the Present Status

In February 2004, a Euromet project was discussed and an agreement was proposed among nine European National Metrology Institutes. The project is aimed at investigating the use of the Temperature Amplifier as a new temperature standard in the field of platinum resistance thermometry between the fixed points of Al and Ag. Since that time, several systems and devices have been studied, developed, manufactured, assembled at INRiM. New Gas Controlled Heat Pipes were manufactured taking into account the experience with devices acquired in previous years. An innovative pressure controller was studied and built for the purpose; the relevant electronic components were developed and fabricated by INRiM. Dedicated furnaces were designed and assembled, together with all the proper cooling lines. Control and acquisition software was also developed at INRiM. Some of those components have been tested and characterized both at the Italian and French Institutes of Metrology LNE-INM/CNAM. The paper describes the innovative devices dedicated to this project together with the first test results. The main results are also summarised, together with the descriptions of the plans for the future project advances that will involve the other participating Institutes.