Current interests

• Developing contact thermometry methods (thermocouples and resistance thermometers) to underpin UK standards and traceability in temperature measurement
• Analytical and numerical modelling of physical systems
• Solving real-world measurement problems in industry, government and academia

Current research includes participation in three European Metrology Research Programme projects: Metrofission (addressing the need for improved temperature measurement in next-generation nuclear reactors), HiTeMs (developing step-change reductions in uncertainties for very high temperature industrial and aerospace applications), and NOTED (enhancing core metrology capability in primary temperature standards).

Biography

Jonathan Pearce is a senior research scientist leading the contact thermometry technical area of the NPL Temperature Group. He joined NPL in 2006 after completing his PhD at the University of Liverpool on the physics of superfluid helium. He has worked as a physicist in the USA, France, Japan, and the UK. He has published over 50 papers on low temperature physics, high temperature metrology, and industrial measurement issues. Research highlights are the development of new thermocouples and high temperature fixed-points for contact thermometry and modelling of sub-ppm impurities in primary fixed-point standards. His main interests are developing fit-for-purpose measurement systems, developing numerical and analytical models of physical systems, and providing robust, practical contact thermometry solutions. He is currently a member of the CCT working group on uncertainties.

Selected publications

• A coupled heat and mass transfer model of pure metal freezing using Comsol Multiphysics
  J. V. Pearce
  9th International Temperature Symposium (APS Publishing 2012)
• Self-validating Type C thermocouples using high temperature fixed points
  J. V. Pearce, C. J. Elliott, G. Machin, O. Ongrai
  9th International Temperature Symposium (APS Publishing 2012)
• Improving temperature sensing for nuclear reactors
  J. V. Pearce, M. de Podesta, C. J. Elliott, G. Machin
  Nuclear Engineering International, pages 18-20 (November 2011)
• Evaluating uncertainties in interpolations between calibration data for thermocouples
  J. V. Pearce, P. M. Harris, and J. C. Greenwood
  Int. J. Thermophys. 31, page 1517 (2010)
• Evaluation of the Pd-C eutectic fixed point and the Pt/Pd thermocouple
  J. V. Pearce, H. Ogura, M. Izuchi, and G. Machin
  Metrologia 47, page 46 (2009)
• Optimising heat treatment of gas turbine blades with a Co-C eutectic fixed point
  J. V. Pearce, G. Machin, T. Ford, and S. Wardle
  Int. J. Thermophysics 222, page 29 (2008)

Contact details

Email: jonathan.pearce@npl.co.uk
Tel: 020 8943 6886