Production Engineering Department

Faculty of Engineering
Alexandria University

Types of Pressure Transducers

Prepared for
Fluid Mechanics Staff,
Mechanical Engineering Department
Under supervision of
Dr. Ahmed Bahaa

Prepared by
A. Marmaras, Z. Mohamed, O. Tarek, M. Ashraf, H. Salah

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Table of Contents
Measuring system components ................................................................................................. 1
Basic requirements of a transducer ........................................................................................... 1
Transducers in our daily life ....................................................................................................... 2
Transducers in various applications........................................................................................... 2
Industry .................................................................................................................................. 2
Environment........................................................................................................................... 2
Safety and Security ................................................................................................................ 3
Classroom............................................................................................................................... 3
Types of transducers .................................................................................................................. 3
Mechanical displacement transducers ...................................................................................... 3
Temperature transduces ........................................................................................................... 3
Pressure transducers ................................................................................................................. 3
Types of pressure transducers ............................................................................................... 3
How it works .......................................................................................................................... 4
Electric pressure transducers..................................................................................................... 5
Working principle ................................................................................................................... 5
Main components of electrical pressure transducer............................................................. 5
Common types of electric pressure transducers ................................................................... 5
Capacitive pressure transducer ................................................................................................. 5
Working principle of capacitive pressure transducers .......................................................... 6
Advantages of capacitive pressure transducers .................................................................... 6
Disadvantages of capacitive pressure transducers................................................................ 6
Strain gauge pressure transducer .............................................................................................. 6
Construction of strain gauge pressure transducer ................................................................ 6
Working principle of strain gauge pressure transducer ........................................................ 7
Measurement Circuits of strain gauge pressure transducer ................................................. 7
Advantages of a strain gauge pressure transducer ............................................................... 8
Disadvantages of a strain gauge pressure transducer ........................................................... 8
Potentiometer pressure transducer .......................................................................................... 8
Working principle of Potentiometer pressure transducer .................................................... 8
Advantages of Potentiometer pressure transducer .............................................................. 8
Disadvantages of Potentiometer pressure transducer.......................................................... 8
Electromagnetic pressure transducer........................................................................................ 9
Types of electromagnetic pressure transducer ..................................................................... 9

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Working principle of electromagnetic pressure transducer.................................................. 9
Advantages of electromagnetic pressure transducer ........................................................... 9
Disadvantages of electromagnetic pressure transducer ....................................................... 9
Piezoelectric pressure transducer ............................................................................................. 9
What is Piezoelectricity? ........................................................................................................ 9
Working principle of piezoelectric pressure transducer ....................................................... 9
Common types of piezoelectric pressure transducers ........................................................ 10
Charge mode type............................................................................................................ 10
Low impedance voltage mode type ................................................................................. 10
Advantages of Piezoelectric pressure transducer ............................................................... 10
Disadvantages of Piezoelectric pressure transducer ........................................................... 10
Elastic pressure transducers .................................................................................................... 11
Common types of elastic pressure transducers .................................................................. 11
Bourdon tube pressure transducer ......................................................................................... 11
Working Principle of bourdon tube pressure transducer .................................................... 11
Advantages of bourdon tube pressure transducer ............................................................. 12
Disadvantages of bourdon tube pressure transducer ......................................................... 12
Applications of bourdon tube pressure transducer ............................................................ 12
Diaphragm pressure transducer .............................................................................................. 12
Working principle of diaphragm pressure transducer......................................................... 12
Types of diaphragm pressure transducer ............................................................................ 13
Metallic diaphragms ........................................................................................................ 13
Slack diaphragms ............................................................................................................. 13
Advantages of diaphragm pressure transducer .................................................................. 13
Disadvantages of diaphragm pressure transducer .............................................................. 13
Applications of diaphragm pressure transducer ................................................................. 13
Bellows pressure transducer ................................................................................................... 14
Working principle of bellows pressure transducer .............................................................. 14
Advantages of bellows pressure transducer ....................................................................... 14
Disadvantages of bellows pressure transducer ................................................................... 14
Applications of bellows pressure transducer ...................................................................... 14
Limitations and challenges....................................................................................................... 15
References ............................................................................................................................... 16
Team members ........................................................................................................................ 17

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

List of Figures
Figure 1: Fundamental elements of a measuring instrument ................................................... 1
Figure 2: Block diagrams for pressure transducers ................................................................... 4
Figure 3: Capacitive pressure transducer .................................................................................. 5
Figure 4: Working principle of capacitive pressure transducer ................................................. 6
Figure 5: Strain gauge pressure transducer ............................................................................... 6
Figure 6: Construction and working principle of a strain gauge pressure transducer .............. 7
Figure 7: Different measurement circuits of strain gauge pressure transducer ....................... 7
Figure 8: Potentiometer pressure transducer ........................................................................... 8
Figure 9: Electromagnetic pressure transducer......................................................................... 9
Figure 10: Piezoelectric pressure transducer ............................................................................ 9
Figure 11: Symbolic presentation of charge mode type measuring station ........................... 10
Figure 12: Symbolic presentation of LIVM mode type measuring station .............................. 10
Figure 13: Bourdon tube pressure transducer ........................................................................ 11
Figure 14: Working principle of bourdon tube pressure transducer....................................... 11
Figure 15: Diaphragm pressure transducer ............................................................................. 12
Figure 16: Metallic diaphragm pressure transducer ............................................................... 13
Figure 17: Slack diaphragm pressure transducer .................................................................... 13
Figure 18: Bellows pressure transducer .................................................................................. 14

List of Tables
Table 1: Transducers in our daily life ......................................................................................... 2

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

INTRODUCTION

Measuring system components

Sensor
A device that converts a physical parameter to an electrical output. It receives and responds
to a signal or stimulus.

Actuator
A device that converts a physical parameter to an electrical output.

Transducer
A device that converts one type of energy to another. Energy forms can be mechanical, visual,
aural, electrical, thermal, chemical, etc. Also, it is used to change information into a form that
can be easily transferred, stored, processed, interpreted, etc.
A complete knowledge of its electrical and mechanical characteristics is of great importance
while choosing it for a particular application.

Figure 1: Fundamental elements of a measuring instrument

Basic requirements of a transducer

Ruggedness
Ability to withstand over loads with safety stops for over load Protection.

Linearity
Ability to reproduce input-output characteristics symmetrically and linearly and it is the main
factor considered.

Repeatability
Ability to reproduce the output signal exactly when the same measurand is applied repeatedly
under the same environmental conditions.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

INTRODUCTION

Convenient instrumentation
Sufficiently high analog output signal with high signal to noise ratio. Digital output preferred
in many cases.

High stability and reliability

Minimum error in measurement. Effect of temperature, vibrations and environmental
variations are not considered.

Good dynamic response

Output is faithful to input when taken as a function of time. It is analyzed as the frequency
response.

Additional requirements
Excellent mechanical characteristics and Built in integrated device with noise, asymmetry and
other defects minimized.

Transducers in our daily life

Table 1: Transducers in our daily life
Type

Input

Output

Examples

Electromagnetic

Electromagnetic
field

Current

Receiving/transmitting
antennas

Electromechanical

Substance

Voltage

PH probe/fuel cell

Electromechanical

Movement

Voltage

Motor /phonograph
cartridge

Electroacoustic

Vibration

Voltage

Loudspeaker/microphone

Photoelectric

Light

Voltage

Light bulb/photodiode

Thermoelectric

Temperature

Voltage

Hotplate/thermistor

Transducers in various applications

Industry
On the factory floor, networked vibration sensors warn that a bearing is beginning to fail.
Mechanics schedule overnight maintenance, preventing an expensive unplanned shutdown.
Inside a refrigerated grocery truck, temperature and humidity sensors monitor individual
containers, reducing spoilage in fragile fish or produce.

Environment
Networks of wireless humidity sensors monitor fire danger in remote forests. Nitrate sensors
detect industrial and agricultural runoff in rivers, streams and wells, while distributed seismic
monitors provide an early warning system for earthquakes. Meanwhile built-in stress sensors
report on the structural integrity of bridges, buildings and roadways, and other man-made
structures.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

INTRODUCTION

Safety and Security

Firefighters scatter wireless sensors throughout a burning building to map hot spots and flareups. Simultaneously, the sensors provide an emergency communications network. Miniature
chemical and biological sensors in hospitals, post offices, and transportation centers raise an
alarm at the first sign of anthrax, smallpox or other terror agents.

Classroom
Sensor technology provides teachers with an exciting alternative to the time consuming task
of manually logging and observing science experiments. Instead of using stopwatches,
thermometers and barometers, students are using sensors and powerful software to collect
and analyze data as they are carrying out their experiments. This provides more accurate
readings than the old manual methods and data is collected in a more exciting way.

Types of transducers

Mechanical displacement transducers.

Temperature transduces (using mechanical/electrical properties to operate).
Level transducers.
Flow transducers (direct/indirect).
Pressure transducers (static/dynamic).

Mechanical displacement transducers

Displacement sensors are widely used not only to measure the distance of a moving object
but also it can be embedded in other sensors or transducer devices to measure pressure or
level or flow as it will be shown later. Many physical variables have the capability to produce
a displacement that can be converted into active signal. This is the basic principle in many
transducer devices.

Temperature transduces
Temperature transducers are used extensively in process industries such as chemical, food
and pharmaceuticals, where control of temperature during manufacturing is important.
Three commonly used temperature transducers are the thermocouple, the resistance
temperature detector (RTD) and the thermistor.

Pressure transducers
Types of pressure transducers

Electric pressure transducers.

Elastic, also called mechanical, pressure transducers.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

INTRODUCTION

How it works

Figure 2: Block diagrams for pressure transducers

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Electric pressure transducers

Working principle
The mechanical loading produces a change of length in the measurement object, which is
conveyed to the strain gauge. As there is a change in length, the electrical resistance of the
applied strain gauge also changes in proportion to the strain. If there is excitation voltage, the
circuit supplies an output signal proportional to the change in resistance and therefore also
proportional to the change in length. A carrier frequency or DC amplifier suitable for strain
gauges enables measurement signal evaluation to continue.

Main components of electrical pressure transducer

Pressure sensing.
Primary conversion element.
Secondary conversion element.

Common types of electric pressure transducers

Capacitive pressure transducers.

Strain gauge pressure transducers.
Potentiometer pressure transducers.
Electromagnetic pressure transducers.
Piezoelectric pressure transducers.

Capacitive pressure transducer

Capacitive pressure transducers are expertly
designed adaptations of a simple, durable
and fundamentally stable device which is the
electrical capacitor. Like the parallel plate
electrical capacitor, it uses a diaphragm and
pressure cavity to create a variable capacitor
to detect strain due to applied pressure. The
diaphragm, commonly, is ceramic, and
silicon. The firmly secured surfaces are
Figure 3: Capacitive pressure transducer
mounted so that a slight mechanical flexing of
the assembly, caused by a minute change in
applied pressure, alters the gap between them creating a variable capacitor. The resulting
change in capacitance is detected by a sensitive linear comparator circuit which amplifies and
outputs a proportional, high-level signal.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Working principle of capacitive pressure transducers

The electrical capacitor has two metal
plates and a dielectric material
sandwiched between them.
In
capacitive pressure transducer, one of
these metal plates is permitted to move
in and out so that the capacitance
between them changes due to varying
distance between the plates. The
movable plate is connected to a
diaphragm which senses the pressure
and then expands or compresses
Figure 4: Working principle of capacitive
accordingly.
The movement of the
pressure transducer
diaphragm would affect the attached
metal plates position and capacitance would vary.

Advantages of capacitive pressure transducers

High input impedance and require small force for operation.

Having good frequency response and less affected by stray magnetic fields.
Measuring low pressures.

Disadvantages of capacitive pressure transducers

Guard rings are necessaries so as to minimize stray electric fields

Complex circuit arrangement like bridge circuit.
The performance may be affected by parameters like dust, temperature.

Strain gauge pressure transducer

Strain gauge is passive type of resistance pressure
transducer, whose electrical resistance changes when
it is stretched or compressed. It can be used as a
secondary element in pressure measurement. It can be
attached to bellows and diaphragms to effectively
measure pressure. Usually, it contains a silicon chip
with an integral sensing diaphragm and four strain
gauges.
Figure 5: Strain gauge pressure
transducer

Construction of strain gauge pressure transducer

Simply, the strain gauge is a fine wire which changes its resistance when mechanically
strained, due to physical effects. The most common type of strain gauge is attached to the
diaphragm.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Working principle of strain gauge pressure transducer

When the diaphragm flexes due to the
process pressure applied on it, the strain
gauge stretches or compresses. This
deformation of the strain gauge causes
the dissimilarity in its length and cross
sectional area due to which its resistance
also changes. This change is usually
converted into voltage by linking one,
two, or four similar gauges as of
Wheatstone bridge to maximize the
output of the sensor and to reduce
sensitivity to errors. Usually, one arm of
the wheat stone bridge is connected to a
diaphragm which compresses and
Figure 6: Construction and working principle
expands due to the pressure applied. This
of a strain gauge pressure transducer
variation causes the output in the bridge to
vary. The bridge output voltage is then a measure of the pressure sensed by strain gauges.

Measurement Circuits of strain gauge pressure transducer

Common Wheatstone bridge circuit and all resistances are equal but one is variable by a factor
(1+x), where x is a fractional deviation around zero, as a function of strain. Sufficiently linear
for small values of x. Op amp forces the bridge to be balanced. It has good linearity and very
low output impedance, thus making the output measurement easier and more accurate.

Figure 7: Different measurement circuits of strain gauge pressure transducer

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Advantages of a strain gauge pressure transducer

Small, easy to install and simple to maintain.

Good accuracy and stability.
High output signal strength, over range capacity.
No moving parts.
Fast speed of response.
Availability for wide range of measurements.
Good shock and vibration characteristics.

Disadvantages of a strain gauge pressure transducer

Requiring temperature compensation and constant voltage supply.

Moderate to high cost.
Electrical readout is necessary.

Potentiometer pressure transducer

The potentiometer which is made by winding
resistance wire around an insulated cylinder. A
moveable electrical contact, called a wiper,
slides along the cylinder, touching the wire at
one point on each turn. A mechanical linkage
from the pressure sensing element controls the
position of the wiper on the potentiometer.

Working principle of Potentiometer

pressure transducer
It uses the motion of a wiper along a resistive
Figure 8: Potentiometer pressure
mechanism to detect the strain caused by applied
transducer
pressure. The position of wiper determines the
resistance of the potentiometer which in turn determines the pressure. An increase in
pressure makes the bourdon tube straighten out partially. This motion causes the linkage to
move the wiper across the winding on potentiometer as the wiper moves, the resistances
between terminals A and B which is equal to the pressure sensed by the bourdon tube.

Advantages of Potentiometer pressure transducer

Strong output and no need of additional amplifier.

High range, ruggedness and electrical efficiency.
Low cost.

Disadvantages of Potentiometer pressure transducer

Finite resolution, limited life and large size.

Poor frequency to response and tendency to develop noise.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Electromagnetic pressure transducer

Types of electromagnetic
transducer

pressure

Linear variable differential transformer.

Servo pressure transducers.

Working principle of electromagnetic

pressure transducer
Measures the displacement of a diaphragm by
means of changes in inductance.

Figure 9: Electromagnetic pressure

transducer

Advantages of electromagnetic pressure

transducer

High sensitivity, ruggedness and stability.

Infinite resolution.
Low hysteresis.
High degree of shock and vibration.

Disadvantages of electromagnetic pressure transducer

Sensitivity to stray magnetic fields but shielding is possible.

Temperature effects the performance of transducers.

Piezoelectric pressure transducer

What is Piezoelectricity?
The word is derived from the
Greek word piezien, which
means to squeeze or press.
Piezoelectricity is the ability of
some materials, notably crystals
and certain ceramics, to
generate an electrical potential
in
response
to
applied
mechanical stress. This may take
the form of a separation of
Figure 10: Piezoelectric pressure transducer
electric charge across the crystal
lattice. If the material is not short
circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material.

Working principle of piezoelectric pressure transducer

It uses the piezoelectric effect in certain materials such as quartz to generate rapid electrical
signals and measuring the strain upon the sensing mechanism due to pressure.

TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELECTRIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Common types of piezoelectric pressure transducers

Charge mode type
It is manufactured with both ceramic
and crystalline quartz piezoelectric
elements. Charge mode accelerometers
used for vibration measurements utilize
piezo-ceramic materials from the lead
zirconium titanate family. These
materials are characterized by high
charge
output,
high
internal
capacitance, relatively low insulation
resistance and good stability.

Figure 11: Symbolic presentation of charge

mode type measuring station

Low impedance voltage mode type

It is available for pressure and force
measurements as well. The LIVM
accelerometer uses crystalline quartz as
the signal generating element instead of
piezo-ceramic. Unlike the charge mode
accelerometer, the LIVM accelerometer
utilizes the voltage signal generated by
the quartz element rather than the
charge signal.
A miniature IC metal oxide silicon field
Figure 12: Symbolic presentation of LIVM
effect transistor amplifier is built into
mode type measuring station
the housing to convert the high
impedance voltage signal from the quartz
element to a much lower output impedance level, so the readout instrument and long cable
have little effect on the signal quality. Because of the high impedance input, the LIVM sensor
is relatively impervious to external electrostatic interference and other disturbances.
Unlike the charge mode type, it requires current source power unit. The power unit contains
a DC power source and a means of blocking or otherwise eliminating the DC bias voltage that
exists at the center terminal of the sensor connector, so the signal may be conveniently
coupled to the readout instrument.

Advantages of Piezoelectric pressure transducer

No need for external power.

It has a good frequency response.

Disadvantages of Piezoelectric pressure transducer

Cannot measure static pressure.

Output affected by changes in temperature.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELASTIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Elastic pressure transducers

The elastic pressure transducers are the mechanical elements that are used for converting
one form of energy into the other form of energy that can be measured easily.

Common types of elastic pressure transducers

Bourdon tube pressure transducers.

Diaphragm pressure transducers.
Bellows pressure transducers.

Bourdon tube pressure transducer

The basic idea behind the device is that, crosssectional tubing when deformed in any way will
tend to regain its circular form under the action
of pressure. The bourdon pressure gauges used
today have a slight elliptical cross-section and the
tube is generally bent into a C-shape or arc length
of about 27 degrees. Bourdon Tubes are known
for its very high range of differential pressure
measurement.

Working Principle of bourdon tube

pressure transducer

Figure 13: Bourdon tube pressure

transducer

The pressure input is given to a socket which is

soldered to the tube at the base. The other end
or free end of the device is sealed by a tip
connected to a segmental lever through an
adjustable length link. The segmental lever is
suitably pivoted and the spindle holds the
pointer. A hair spring is sometimes used to
fasten the spindle of the frame of the
instrument to provide necessary tension for
proper meshing of the gear teeth and thereby
freeing the system from the backlash. Any
error due to friction in the spindle bearings is
known as lost motion. The mechanical Figure 14: Working principle of bourdon
construction has to be highly accurate in the
tube pressure transducer
case of a Bourdon Tube Gauge. If we consider a
cross-section of the tube, its outer edge will have a larger surface than the inner portion. The
tube walls will have a thickness between 0.01 and 0.05 inches.
Bourdon gauges can also be constructed in the form of a helix or a spiral for better linearity
and larger sensitivity. For thorough repeatability, the bourdon tubes materials must have
good elastic or spring characteristics. The surrounding in which the process is carried out is
also important as corrosive atmosphere or fluid would require a material which is corrosion
proof. The commonly used materials are phosphor-bronze, silicon-bronze, beryllium-copper
and other C-Cr-Ni-Mo alloys.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELASTIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Advantages of bourdon tube pressure transducer

Low cost and simple construction.

Time-tested in applications.
Availability in a wide variety of ranges.
Adaptability to transducer designs for electronic instruments.
High accuracy, especially in relation to cost.

Disadvantages of bourdon tube pressure transducer

Low spring gradient.

Susceptibility to hysteresis, shock and vibrations.

Applications of bourdon tube pressure transducer

Pressure monitoring and direct switching of electrical loads.

Gaseous and liquid, aggressive, highly viscous media and aggressive ambience.
Process industry: chemical/petro-chemical, on- and offshore, technical gases,
environmental technology, machine building and general plant construction, water
treatment, pharmaceutical industry.

Diaphragm pressure transducer

A diaphragm pressure transducer is used
for low pressure measurement. They are
commercially available in two types.

Working principle of diaphragm

pressure transducer
When a force acts against a thin stretched
diaphragm, it causes a deflection of the
diaphragm with its center deflecting the
most. Since the elastic limit has to be
maintained, the deflection of the
diaphragm must be kept in a restricted
manner. This can be done by cascading
many diaphragm capsules. A main capsule
Figure 15: Diaphragm pressure transducer
is designed by joining two diaphragms at the
periphery. A pressure inlet line is provided at the central position. When the pressure enters
the capsule, the deflection will be the sum of deflections of all the individual capsules.
Corrugated diaphragms are also used instead of the conventional ones.
Corrugated designs help in providing a linear deflection and also increase the member
strength. The total amount of deflection for a given pressure differential is known by some
factors, number and depth of corrugation and capsules, capsule diameter, shell thickness and
material characteristics.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELASTIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Types of diaphragm pressure transducer

Metallic diaphragms
Known to have good spring characteristics.
Used materials are the same as those used
for Bourdon Tube.
Slack diaphragms
Known to have non-elastic characteristics
and used rarely. Due to their non-elastic
characteristics, the device will have to be
opposed with external springs for
calibration and precise operation. They are
used for measuring very small pressures. The
commonly used materials for making the
diaphragm are polythene, neoprene, animal
membrane, silk, and synthetic materials.

Figure 16: Metallic diaphragm pressure

transducer

Advantages of diaphragm pressure

transducer

Moderate cost and small size.

Diaphragm Pressure Transducer possesses
high over range characteristics.
Adaptable to absolute and differential
pressure measurement.
Having a good linearity.

Disadvantages of diaphragm pressure

transducer

Lack of good vibration and shock

resistance.
Difficult to repair.
Limited to relatively low pressures.

Applications of diaphragm pressure

transducer

Figure 17: Slack diaphragm pressure

transducer

The best example for a slack diaphragm is the draft gauge. They are used in boilers for
indication of the boiler draft. The device can control both combustion and flue. With the
draft, usually of pressure less than the atmosphere, connected, the power diaphragm
moves to the left and its motion is transmitted through the sealing diaphragm, sealed link
and pointer drive to the pointer
Process industry: Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, cosmetics manufacturing,
food industry
Quick cleaning of measuring point, without residue
For gaseous and liquid aggressive media that are highly viscous or crystallizing, also in
aggressive ambience.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

ELASTIC PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Bellows pressure transducer

Like a diaphragm, bellows are also used
for pressure measurement, and can be made of
cascaded capsules. The basic way of
manufacturing bellows is by fastening together
many individual diaphragms. The bellows
element, basically, is a one piece expansible,
collapsible and axially flexible member. It has
many convolutions or fold. It can be
manufactured form a single piece of thin metal.
For industrial purposes, the commonly used
bellow elements are:

By turning from a solid stock of metal

By soldering or welding stamped annular
rings
Rolling a tube
By hydraulically forming a drawn tubing

Figure 18: Bellows pressure transducer

Working principle of bellows pressure transducer

The action of bending and tension operates the elastic members. For proper working, the
tension should be least. The design ideas given for a diaphragm is applied to bowels as well.
The manufacturer describes the bellows with two characters, maximum stroke and maximum
allowable pressure. The force obtained can be increased by increasing the diameter. The
stroke length can be increased by increasing the folds or convolutions.
Some the parameters to has be checked for selecting a specific material for an elastic member
like bellows, range of pressure, hysteresis, fatigue on dynamic operation, corrosion,
fabrication ease and sensitivity to fluctuating pressures.

Advantages of bellows pressure transducer

Moderate cost.
Delivery of high force.
Adaptability for absolute and differential pressure.
Good in the low to moderate pressure range.

Disadvantages of bellows pressure transducer

Ambient temperature compensation needed.

Unsuitable for high pressure.
Limited availability of metals and work hardening of some of them.
Unsuitability of its zero and the stiffness, therefore it is used in conjunction with a reliable
spring of appreciably higher stiffness for accurate characterization.

Applications of bellows pressure transducer

Gas Filled bellows can make the sensor sensitive to both external pressure and
temperature in vastly different applications.
Liquid Filled bellows can function in a number of transducer applications.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES

Limitations and challenges

Pressure sensors have several limitations that restrict their use in several areas. High
temperature dependency, hysteresis, inability to deduce quick and dynamic pressure
variations, sensitivity to the external vibrations, irreparability of the electronic board
assembly, sensitivity to electric, magnetic and RF fields, incompatibilities with external
devices are few challenges that a general pressure sensor faces. In some applications,
pressure sensors have limited accuracy. For example, in a touch screen, the sensitivity of the
sensor when multiple touches are made is affected while in the aviation sector high pressure
can limit the working of the sensor.
Pressure sensors are essentially required to make a device respond to its ambient conditions
in an optimized manner. Their types and uses are plenty and will continue to evolve as the
sensor technology continues to mature. Extensive use of pressure sensors such as in touch
screens or automobiles degrades their efficiency quite soon and hence the ruggedness of the
pressure sensors is also a growing priority of industrial research. Nevertheless, pressure
sensors tools, and as it goes with every other tool, these are to be used carefully as well as
checked constantly to ensure quality results.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

References
1. W. Tompkins, , J. Webster. Interfacing Sensors To The IBM PC. . s.l. : Prentice Hall Inc., 1988.
2. Singh, S k. Industrial Instrumentation and Control. New DEHLI : Tata McGraw HILL company
Limited, 1987.
3. Patranabis, D. Sensors and Transducers.
4. Pallas-Areny. Sensors and Signal Conditioning. s.l. : Wiley, 1991.
5. Gautschi, G. Piezoelectric sensorics. New York : Springer Berlin, 2002.
6. Dally, Riley, and McConnell. Instrumentation for Engineering Measurements. s.l. : Wiley,
1993. 2nd Ed.
7. Carstens. Electrical Sensors and Transucers. s.l. : Prentice Hall, 1993.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

Team members
Name

Section Number

Seat Number

Alexia Constantin Marmaras

42

Ziad Mohamed El-Sayed

79

Ola Tarek Ali

101

Mahmoud Ashraf Mohamed

176

Hadeer Salah Kamel

217

17