Instytut Energetyki

What is the Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department?

The Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department performs materials testing and materials and strength diagnostics of power equipment such as:

• steam pipelines,
• feedwater pipelines,
• heating surfaces of boilers,
• superheater chambers and manifolds,
• suspension systems for pipelines and superheater chambers,
• boiler rollers.

Along with the testing of all pipelines, inspections, repairs and upgrades of their fastening systems are performed.

What does the Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department do?

The scope of the research work carried out includes:

• structural testing by light and electron microscopy (SEM) - non-destructive metallographic testing by matrix replica method, performed directly on the equipment using the methodology developed in the Department, and metallographic testing on solid samples,
• hardness measurements directly on the object with portable hardness testers,
• measurements of the outside diameter and wall thickness of power equipment components and calculations of permanent deformation,
• tests of corrosion and erosion wear,
• testing of mechanical properties of materials: creep strength tests, static tensile tests, impact tests (instrumented impact test) with determination of the temperature of brittleness threshold, hardness and microhardness tests by Vickers method, hardness distribution tests.
• testing by methods of resistance strain gauging - testing of deformations (stresses) in components under load, testing of technological and assembly residual stresses in equipment components before or after installation,
• diagnostics of fastening systems - testing of all types of fixed, spring and rigid suspensions and supports, evaluation of the performance of fastening systems for power pipelines, superheater chambers, etc.,
• development of repair and adjustment guidelines to improve the performance of fastening systems,
• measurements of pipeline displacements between cold and hot states, measurements of pipeline gradients,
• measurements of deflections of superheater chambers,
• measurements of the Barkhausen effect.

In addition to the mentioned tests and measurements, the Department:

• performs strength calculations of pipelines using specialized software, in accordance with the latest European standards,
• carries out assessment of the degree of exhaustion of the service life of the material of power equipment operating in creep conditions and forecasting the period of further safe operation,
• develops diagnostic programs for power equipment, including long-operated power pipelines, even after exceeding the calculated operating time,
• supervises the construction or modernization of high-pressure power equipment.

Specialized research laboratories operate within the Department. Check out the scope of their activities.

Why should you choose our services?

The department has at its disposal research and measurement apparatus and equipment that allows us to perform material science tests and stress measurements and strength analyses at the highest level. Highly qualified personnel have many years of professional experience and the necessary qualification certificates authorizing them to conduct and supervise diagnostics of manufacturing power equipment. Our activities make it possible to release equipment for operation even after three times the calculated operating time.

The Department's testing methods and equipment are covered by the recognition of the Office of Technical Inspection: Laboratory Recognition Certificate No. LBU-064/27-22.

The Department of Testing and Diagnostics of Materials has positive opinions of, among others:

• PGE GiEK S.A. Bełchatów Power Plant Branch
• PGE GiEK S.A. Turów Power Plant Branch
• ZE PAK S.A.
• ENEA Wytwarzanie sp. z o.o.

Contact us

Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department 36 Augustówka Street 02-981 Warsaw phone: +48 22 642 83 79

Head of the Department mgr inż. Marcin Maternicki, Eng., MSc. mobile.: +48 602 484 430

What is Measuring Apparatus Laboratory?

The Measuring Apparatus Laboratory is a calibration laboratory providing services in the field of measuring temperature, pressure, humidity and electrical quantities DC and MA. Since September 1999, its activities in the field of instrument calibration have been confirmed by Accreditation Certificate AP 013. Scope of the AP 013 accreditation can be confirmed on the website of the Polish Accreditation Centre. The laboratory provides its services on-site and off-site.

Since May 2014, as a result of the extension of the scope of AP 013 accreditation, the Laboratory has performed calibrations of radiation and photoelectric pyrometers and thermal imaging cameras in the range of (-15 ÷ 500) ºC. In July 2016, as the first in Poland, the Laboratory was accredited to calibrate thermohygrometers in the range of negative temperatures (-20 ÷ 0) ºC and for relative humidity from 40 % rh to 90 % rh. The scope of calibration of climate chambers outside the Laboratory for temperatures up to 90 °C and relative humidity (10 ÷ 98) % rh was extended. As a result of new purchases of measurement standards at the Laboratory, the value of the CMC measuring capacity for temperature measurements in the range (-40 ÷ 250) °C was reduced to 0.010 °C.

The Laboratory is a member of the POLLAB Polish Testing Laboratories Club organisation and cooperates with the POLSKIE FORUM ISO 9000 organisation.

The Laboratory operates a management system compliant with the requirements of the PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

Our certificates and accreditations

What does the Measuring Apparatus Laboratory do?

Calibration in terms of physical quantity: temperature

The laboratory offers calibration of the following devices:

• resistance thermometer sensors,
• thermocouples and thermoelectric sensors,
• electric and electronic thermometers, including those with recording function,
• manometric and bimetallic thermometers,
• liquid glass thermometers
• temperature controllers
• temperature recorders
• temperature transmitters
• temperature calibrators
• temperature indicators
• temperature simulators
• thermostatic and climatic chambers (e.g. incubators, dryers, freezers),
• autoclaves,
• laboratory furnaces,
• thermostats,
• pyrometers and thermal imaging cameras.

Calibration in the field of physical quantities: DC and HF electrical quantities.

The laboratory performs calibration of the following equipment:

• digital multimeters,
• ammeters
• voltmeters
• wattmeters
• calibration resistors,
• adjustable resistors
• power supplies
• calibrators
• clamp meters,
• DC shunts.

Calibration in the scope of the physical quantity: pressure

The laboratory performs calibrations of the following devices:

• spring pressure gauges
• signalling pressure gauges
• electronic pressure gauges,
• pressure transducers.

Calibration in the scope of a physical quantity: humidity

The laboratory performs calibration of the following devices:

• dew point hygrometers,
• hygrometers,
• thermohygrometers
• psychrometers,
• humidity transmitters,
• climate chambers.

Measurement of temperature and humidity in technological facilities (halls, warehouses)

Temperature and humidity measurement (including mapping) in technological facilities (halls, warehouses, pharmaceutical warehouses).

See general conditions for service provision

Why use our services?

The Laboratory's equipment is modern, high-precision, computerised and provides reference to the International System of Units (SI). The Laboratory strictly adheres to the implementation of calibration schedules of its own measurement standards.

The management of the Institute of Power Engineering and the Laboratory makes every effort to keep the Laboratory's equipment base up-to-date and ensure the highest quality of measurements. The staff is highly qualified and has extensive experience gained through many years of professional practice and metrology courses and management system training. Measurement procedures and instructions, based on the experience gained, the development of measurement techniques and the guidelines of the international organisation EURAMET, are updated and evaluated by auditors of the accreditation body PCA. The Laboratory's activities are oriented to ensure the continuous development of new techniques and the possibility of in-depth knowledge of problems when carrying out measurements of various physical quantities.

The Laboratory's clients are laboratories and industrial departments from various fields of the economy: food, pharmaceutical, chemical, heat and power industries.

When there is a need to calibrate measuring instruments at the place of their work, the Laboratory carries out away measurements at the customers' premises, calibrating measuring instruments without inconvenient and time-consuming disassembly and costly shutdowns of technological lines. Within the scope of its arrangements with the client, the Laboratory performs monitoring of environmental conditions in production plants, warehouses, cold stores and other places where goods are stored, together with preparation of reports on these measurements.

Within its scope of activity, the laboratory performs installation qualification (IQ), operational qualification (OQ) and process qualification (PQ) of equipment/facilities in the area of temperature and humidity used in various industries.

See our references

Contact us.

Measuring Apparatus Laboratory 36 Augustówka St. 02-981 Warsaw phone. +48 22 34 51 438 mobile. +48 797 905 438

Head of the Laboratory mgr inż. Roman Witkowski, MSc. mobile.: +48 502 441 446

What is the Mechanical Division?

The Mechanical Division is one of the four divisions of the Central Unit of the Power Engineering Institute - National Research Institute in Warsaw. The Division consists of the following units:

• MAP - Measuring Apparatus Laboratory,
• MBM - Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department,
• MDT - Technical Diagnostics and Power Equipment Modernization Laboratory,

What does the Mechanical Division do?

The units within the structure of the Mechanical Division provide services such as measurements of moisture and DC and MA electrical quantities, as well as material science research and broadly defined material and strength diagnostics of power equipment. In addition, the units of the Mechanical Division conduct research and perform measurements, analysis, expertise and evaluation of the technical condition of power equipment, particularly boilers, pipelines and turbines.

Contact us.

Mechanical Division

36 Augustówka street

02-981 Warsaw

phone: +48 22 345 12 00