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Pulver- und Staubteilchen können sich elektrostatisch aufladen und dadurch sogar Funken entstehen lassen. Das hat in der Vergangenheit bereits zu katastrophalen Staubexplosionen geführt – sowohl in Industrieanlagen als auch in Getreidemühlen. Doch lässt sich die elektrostatische Aufladung von Pulver, beispielsweise beim Strömen durch eine Rohrleitung, überhaupt verhindern? Forschende der Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt (PTB) haben nun den Schlüssel zur Vermeidung gefährlicher Aufladungen gefunden. Die Lösung liegt darin, die Fließmechanismen zu kontrollieren. Ein neues Simulationstool und die daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnisse eröffnen neue Wege, die Sicherheit industrieller Pulverprozesse zu gewährleisten. Die in Physical Review Letters veröffentlichte Studie ist das vorläufige Ergebnis des Projekts „Preventing Explosions: How do Powder Flows Electrify?“ gefördert durch den Europäischen Forschungsrat. 

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Titelseite der Wasserstoffstrategie der PTB

Wasserstoff (H2) nimmt in der Energiewirtschaft eine zunehmend wichtigere Rolle ein: Wenn Wind und Sonne mehr Energie erzeugen als gebraucht wird, kann diese mithilfe von grünem Wasserstoff gespeichert und transportiert werden. Wasserstoff wird in hoher Konzentration durch Gasleitungen fließen und an Zapfsäulen verfügbar sein. Das bringt Fragen mit sich: Wie lässt sich die Qualität des Wasserstoffs feststellen? Wie kann zu jeder Zeit Explosionsschutz garantiert werden? Eignet sich die bisherige Messtechnik, um den Brennwert zu bestimmen und gerecht abzurechnen? Im Rahmen ihrer am 1. Februar 2024 veröffentlichten Wasserstoffstrategie präsentiert die PTB Maßnahmen zur Lösung dieser und zahlreicher weiterer messtechnischer Fragen. Ziel der Strategie ist es, den Hochlauf der deutschen Wasserstoffwirtschaft zu beschleunigen. 

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Die Digitalisierung kann vernetzte industrielle Prozesse schneller, effizienter und damit langfristig auch kostengünstiger gestalten. Doch das gelingt nur, wenn die dafür notwendigen Daten von hoher Qualität sind und von Maschinen leicht und zuverlässig interpretiert werden können. Im Projekt GEMIMEG-II sind nun erstmals gemeinsame Standards entwickelt worden, die eine verlässliche Kommunikation mittels Daten ermöglichen und diese durch digitale Zertifikate sicherstellen – nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern weltweit. Diese wegweisenden Ergebnisse bilden die Basis für eine effektive Produktion und sehr gute internationale Wettbewerbsbedingungen für die deutsche Industrie. 

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IMEKO 2024

Logo für den großen Weltkongress der Internationalen Messtechnischen Konföderation (IMEKO) vom 26. bis 29 August in Hamburg

The IMEKO World Congress in Hamburg welcomes you with a variety of metrological events - including three workshops on the topics of digitalization (26.8.), quantum technology (27.8.) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (28.8.). On Thursday (29.8.), you can choose from various Company Tours in Hamburg, for example at DESY or XFEL. Friday (30.8.) is reserved for a trip to the PTB in Braunschweig with extensive laboratory tours. (For further information on the IMEKO World Congress, please send an email to Opens local program for sending emailimeko2024(at)ptb.de or visit Opens external link in new windowhttps://www.imeko2024.org)

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Explaining AI

Artificial intelligence, usually in the form of neuronal networks, is already frequently being applied to express recommendations for human decision-makers or to simply make decisions itself. However, which criteria are used to reach a decision is often unclear. In line with the need to make AI explainable, the first pre-standard on AI explainability has been published with PTB’s participation. (DIN SPEC 92001-3: www.beuth.de/de/technische-regel/din-spec-92001-3/369799101; Contact: Stefan Haufe, +49 30 3481-7284, Opens local program for sending emailstefan.haufe(at)ptb.de)

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Following a successful assessment, the German-Japanese Center for Time, Constants and Fundamental Symmetries (TCFS) is ready to begin its second five-year term during which it will strengthen cooperation between German and Japanese institutes even further. The international experts develop the most sensitive instruments for fundamental measurements in atomic and nuclear physics, antimatter and dark matter research, quantum optics and metrology. This group consists of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), the cutting-edge Japanese researc institute RIKEN and PTB. (Contact: Ekkehard Peik, +49 531 592-4400, Opens local program for sending emailekkehard.peik(at)ptb.de)

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Awards

 Frank Lienesch Frank Lienesch, the head of Division 9, Legal and International Metrology, has assumed the German chair of the “International Committee of Legal Metrology” (CIML) after Roman Schwartz.

Roman Schwartz Roman Schwarz, the former vice president of PTB and president of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) since 2017, was presented with an honorary OIML membership as well as an OIML medal in recognition of his many years of service related to OIML at the 58th CIML meeting in Chiang-Mai (Thailand).

Marko Esche Marko Esche, a staff member in Department 8.5, Metrological Information Technology, was honored with a letter of appreciation at the 58th CIML meeting in Chiang-Mai (Thailand) in recognition of his excellent achievements as a coordinator of the project group “Revision des OIML-Dokuments D 31 Softwareanforderungen an gesetzlich geregelte Messgeräte” (Revision of OIML document D31: General...

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ELVIS – the mobile test lab

If a charging station cannot be taken to a laboratory, then the laboratory must go to the charging station. The electric vehicle charger inspection system (ELVIS) is a fully equipped lab that can examine any installed electric charging station in detail. And it can do this whatever the weather and wherever the location because ELVIS is mobile. In addition, ELVIS provides testing techniques for charging stations with adjustable voltage and current test points as well as very high power consumption. Innovative combinations of regenerative direct current loads with a resistive load connected in parallel have been realized in order to react to mobile requirements. (Technology Offer 574)

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Three-axis Helmholtz coil system and a magnetic resonance detector in a shielded room for measuring magnetic flux density

Just how strong a magnetic flux density is can be determined with high precision by using magnetometers that are based on the principle of measuring nuclear magnetic resonance. PTB’s new method is particularly well suited for low fields within magnetic shields. This method uses hyperpolarized samples and drives at least two Rabi cycles – each one with different excitation frequencies. The new process makes it possible to determine magnetic fields more quickly than by using one individual free precession measurement that would take much longer. What is more, this new method is similarly accurate, and it can be used almost without destroying the hyperpolarization condition. (Technology Offer 548)

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The superconducting layer of a trap electrode (left) allows the photon detection of an ion that is trapped in a trap potential.

A quantum computer uses qubits to perform its operations. To date, ion traps have proved to be one of the best ways of manufacturing, storing and manipulating qubits. The concept developed by PTB is based on integrating components that have been separate until now. These are the sensor for photon detection and the trap electrode, which is made of a superconducting layer. The two components have now been combined. When a photon is absorbed, the superconductor changes from the superconducting state into the normal-conducting state. This change of state can be detected by measuring the resistance. PTB’s new approach allows a simplified architecture of ion traps, which is of particular importance when it comes to mass production. (Technology Offer 545)

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