Professor Graham Machin, FREng, BSc (Hons), DPhil (Oxon), DSc, FInstP, HonFInstMC, FIPEM, CEng, CPhys is a Senior NPL Fellow in Thermometry. His team made world-leading contributions to the redefinition of the kelvin (K), thermodynamic temperature measurement and the development of high temperature fixed points as next-generation temperature standards. In addition, his team have made numerous contributions to solving thermometry problems in harsh environments as diverse as aerospace, space, nuclear decommissioning and medical, and is working towards developing traceable surface thermometry, in-situ validation and no-drift sensing thermometry techniques to facilitate autonomous production/Industry 4.0. In addition, Graham has active research in photonic thermometry and is the NPL science lead for nuclear decommissioning metrology.
Areas of interest
As an acknowledged world leader in thermometry, Graham and his team have made significant contributions to the science of temperature measurement. Recent highlights include:
- Establishment of low-uncertainty high temperature fixed points (HTFPs) as the next generation temperature standards (for non-contact and thermocouple thermometry) and for the in-situ validation of temperature sensors
- Novel traceable surface thermometry techniques for a wide range of harsh environments
- Development of novel quantum thermometry approaches including active Ring Resonator Thermometry and practical Doppler Broadening Thermometry
- Reliable thermometry in a range of health care settings including reliable triaging fever
Present activities include:
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Leading international efforts for realising the redefined kelvin through the EPM DireK-T project, through representation of NPL/UK on CCT, chair of the CCT Working Group in Non-Contact Thermometry and role in CCT Working Group Strategy Planning
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Leading the development of reliable thermal (and other) based metrology tools for reliable decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
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Founder member of the UK body temperature measurement group (UKBTMG), whose aim is to reduce avoidable deaths, improve fever screening especially for pandemic preparedness and improve triaging throughout the health service
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Leading the establishment of traceable photonic (quantum) based thermometry approaches in the UK for both semi-conductors and harsh environments
Biography
Graham joined the NPL Temperature and humidity group in 1991, after completing his DPhil at the University of Oxford in “Cataclysmic variables in globular clusters and low mass X-ray binaries”. He has published over 270 papers and has given numerous plenary and keynote lectures around the world.
Graham is the NPL representative on the BIPM Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT), chair of the CCT working group (WG) for non-contact thermometry and a member both of the CCT WG on strategy and of the CCT TG for Digitalisation. He is a past chair of the EURAMET Technical Committee of Thermometry (TC-T) (2014–2018) and continues to serve on the TC-T Strategy Group. He has served on the EPSRC Physical Sciences Advisory Team (2014–2017), on the council of the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) (2013–2015) and was its President (2018-2019).
He has also served on numerous Conference International Programme Committees including the IMEKO World Congress 2018, Tempmeko/Tempbejing 2019 and the decennial International Temperature Symposium (US, 2023), where he gave the opening plenary “James Schooley memorial” address. He holds visiting professorship in Physics at Strathclyde University, honorary professorships at the University of Birmingham and at the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow. In 2012, he received the InstMC Callendar Medal for improvements in “the state of the art” in temperature measurement; and in 2015, a DSc from the University of Birmingham for 'Improvements in Temperature Measurement'.
In 2017, Graham was awarded a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Fellowship and in 2019 he was elected Honorary Scientist of the CAS and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2021 he was awarded the InstMC Sir Harold Hartley Medal for “outstanding contributions to the technology of measurement and control”. In 2022 his team was awarded the joint InstMC/WCSIM “Cornish award” for outstanding achievement in building of scientific instruments and was the joint winner of the NPL Impact from Science award for nuclear decommissioning metrology.
Graham served as an invited member of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (2022-2024). He was elected Honorary Fellow of InstMC in 2024 in recognition of his long standing and leading contributions to thermometry.
Read about Graham's main area of Temperature and humidity research
Selected recent publications
- Machin, G., Sadli, M., Engert., J., Kirste, A., Pearce, J., Gavioso, R., “Progress with realizing the redefined kelvin”, Proceedings of the 10th International Temperature Symposium, AIP Conf. Proc. 3230, 020001 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0234456
- Agnew, N., Riis, E., Machin, G., Arnold, A., “Practical Doppler broadening thermometry”, Proceedings of the 10th International Temperature Symposium, AIP Conf. Proc. 3230 110002 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0234155
- Yamsiri, A., Duffy, D.A., Machin, G., Sweeney, S. J., “Active Photonic Thermometry using Quantum Well Heterostructures and Ring Resonators”, Proceedings of the 10th International Temperature Symposium, AIP Conf. Proc. 3230 (2024) 110004 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0234129
- Merriman, C., Voller, H., Flemming, S., Machin, G., Stevens, R., “Understanding the role of body temperature measurements in identification of infection during cancer treatment: a single-site retrospective audit” Cancer Nurs. Pract (2024) doi: 10.7748/cnp.2024.e1858
- Machin, G., “Evolution of temperature measurement: beginnings, progress and prospects”, HAPP Conference on “Physics and the Science of Living Things” J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 2877 012112 (2024) DOI 10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012112
- Machin, G., et al “Towards realising the redefined kelvin”, Measurement, 201 111725 (2022) (open access) doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.111725
- Dedyulin, S., Ahmed, D., Machin G., “Emerging technologies in the field of thermometry”, Meas. Sci. & Technol. 33 092001 (26pp) (2022)
doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/ac75b1
- Machin, G., et al “Is current body temperature measurement practice fit-for-purpose?”, J. Med. Eng. Technol. (2021) (open access)
doi.org/10.1080/03091902.2021.1873441
- Machin, G., et al “Novel thermometry approaches to facilitate safe and effective monitoring of nuclear material containers”, Nuclear Engineering and Design, 371, 110939 (2021) doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111091
- Tucker, D., Andreu, A., Elliott, C., Ford, T., Neagu, M., Machin, G., Pearce, J., “Integrated self-validating thermocouples: with a reference temperature up to 1329 °C”, Meas. Sci. Technol. 29 105002 (2018) doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/aad8a8
- Machin, G., “The Kelvin redefined”, Meas. Sci. Technol. 29 022001 (11pp) (2018)
doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/aa9ddb
- Fletcher, T., Whittam, A., Simpson, R., Machin, G., “Comparison of non-contact infrared skin thermometers”, J. Med. Eng. Technol. 42 65-71 (2018) doi.org/10.1080/03091902.2017.1409818
- Machin, G., et al “A thermal imaging system for the prevention of diabetic foot ulceration”, Physiol. Meas. 38 420-430 (2017) doi.org/10.1088/1361-6579/aa56b1
- Fellmuth, B., Fischer, J., Machin, G., Picard, S., Steur, P., Tamura, O., White, R., Yoon H., “The kelvin redefinition and its mise en pratique”, Phil. Trans R. Soc. A. 374: 20150037 (2016) doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0037
- Sadli, M., Machin, G., et al “Realisation and dissemination of thermodynamic temperatures above the silver point”, Phil. Trans R. Soc. A. 374: 20150043 (2016) doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0043
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ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8864-6951