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Laboratory of Meteorological Instruments Calibration


The Laboratory of Meteorological Instruments Calibration (LMIC) has been founded in 1996 and operates since at the premises of the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (IERSD) at Lofos Koufou in the area of Palea Penteli. The main goal of LMIC is, among other, to offer calibration services for meteorological instruments and actinometers to the private and public sector.

The LMIC calibrates meteorological instruments such as: thermometers (mostly electronic, while liquid-in-glass thermometers are checked for good operation only), thermographs, hygrometers and hygrographs, pyranometers, photometers and rain gauges. Data collection and processing is performed with high accuracy instruments.

The laboratory is organized according to the Quality Assurance standards. LMIC's Manual of Operations has been approved by the EAA Administration Council and calibrations are carried out according to International Standards. For all calibration procedures, the LMIC staff has drafted Technical Guidelines based on ISO standards, the current scientific best practice, ISO Guide on the expression of uncertainty in measurements, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-No 8: "Guide to meteorological instruments and methods of observations".

 

Calibration of Actinometers

In LMIC calibration of pyranometers is carried out according to ISO 9847:1992. According to this process, the istruments under calibration are placed in outdoor conditions, on a horizontal surface, close to the standard Kipp & Zonen CM21 pyranometer (Secondary Standard according to ISO 9060:1990 and High Quality according to WMO).

Under constantly clear sky conditions, momentary measurements of electrical voltage are taken at the instruments output during whole daylight period and for solar altitude greater than 20 degrees.

Calibrations are carried out comparatively, using calibrated working standards, with readings traceable to the Global Radiometric Scale. This method is simple and provides sufficient accuracy because errors related to the dependence on solar incidence angle and the instrument's spectral response are avoided.

Traceability is ensured as the 'secondary standard' used in LMIC, is calibrated regularly at the World Radiation Center (WRC), in Davos, Switzerland.

Calibration of photometers is carried out in a manner analoqous to ISO 9847:1992, using a digital reference photometer LMT B510A, with an LMT P30SCT sensor, operational range 0.001-600000 Lux, accuracy of sensitivity better than +/ - 0.5%.

The cost of calibration is 180 euros per actinometer (plus VAT when applicable).

 

Calibration of Thermometers

According to the respective Technical Guidline followed in LMIC, instruments under calibration are placed together with the Pt-100 calibrated standard thermometer (ERTCO-Hart 850 High Precision RTD Thermometer and Isotech 100 Ohm PRT probe, type: 935-14-85) either in a thermostatic bath Isotech Oceanus model 809 (typical range -10°C ... +50° C), or in a controlled temperature chamber WTB Binder KB-53 (typical range 0°C ... +50° C).

LMIC's thermometer calibration process of is traceable to the International Temperature Scale 90 as the standard used is being calibrated regularly at the Hellenic Institute of Metrology (HIM), Thessaloniki, Greece.

The cost of calibration is 80 euros per thermometer (plus VAT when applicable).

 

Calibration of Hygrometers

According to the LMIC technical Guidline for hygrometer calibration, the instruments under calibration are either placed in a controlled relative humidity chamber (Theodor Friedrichs, type 8222) using as reference an Assmann pcychrometer (typical range 20%...100%) or exposed to the vapours of saturated solutions of lithium cloride (LiCl - 11.3%, 20°C), sodium cloride (NaCl - 75.5%, 20°C) and potassium sulfate (K2SO4 - 97.6%, 20°C).

The cost of calibration is 80 euros per hygrometer (plus VAT when applicable).

In case of a combined digital thermo-hygrometer sensor, the cost of calibration is 100 euros per sensor (plus VAT when applicable).

 

Calibration of Precipitation Gauges

According to the LMIC Technical Guidline for rain gauges calibration, the instruments under calibration are supplied with a certain quantity of water in order to record the number of pulses or other output produced.

The cost of calibration is 70 euros per instrument (plus VAT when applicable).

 

Certificates of Calibration

When a calibration process is completed, LMIC issues a 'Certificate of Calibration' for each calibrated sensor with the exception of liquid-in-glass thermometers where a certificate of good operation is provided.

Note: In case of calibration of 5 or more sensors of the same type, there is a 10% discount.

Feel free to contact us for more information.

 

Laboratory Structure

 

Administrative
Officer

the IERSD Director

Scientific
Officer

Dr. Psiloglou Basil
Mathematician - Environmental Physicist
Senior Researcher of IERSD
tel.: 210 8109133

Scientific
Consultant

Dr. Lykoudis Spyridon
Physicist- Environmental Physicist
Scientific Technical Staff IERSD/NOA

Technical
Support- Analysts

Dr. Lianou Maria
Physicist- Environmental Physicist
Scientific Technical Staff IERSD/NOA

Nikolaos Kappos
Mechanical Engineer
Scientific Technical Staff IERSD/NOA

Dr. Kalliampakos Georgios
Physicist- Nuclear Physicist
Scientific Technical Staff NOA

Dr. Katsanos Dimitrios
Physicist- Environmental Physicist
Scientific Technical Staff IERSD/NOA

 

Indicative Customers List
  • Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (NOA)
  • Public Power Corporation (PPC)
  • Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CRES)
  • AKTOR construction company
  • University of Ioannina
  • University of Aegean

 
Contact Details

Laboratory's telephone number: 210 8032503, 210 8109131, 210 8109133

IERSD's secretary telephone number: 210 8109122

Fax: 210 8103236

E-mail: bill@meteo.noa.gr

 

 

 

 

 

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