Centre of Pressure

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Experiment 8

Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering Lab

Course Number:

Lab Instructor:

Department of Civil Engineering

Texas A&M University–Kingsville

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 Exp. 8 Gage Calibration

Introduction

This experiment was conducted in order to calibrate a Bourdon type pressure gage and determine

the gage errors.

The Bourdon tube pressure gage is used to check the pressure levels at any point in a static or

moving liquid. It basically consist of a curved tube bent into a circular glass frame. When

pressure is applied in the tube, it straightens and the resulting deflection is captured via a system

of levers to indicate pressure difference (Humpherys,1991).

Figure 1 Bourdon gage

The gage is regularly recalibrated since the tube elasticity changes with continuous use. A Dead

Weight Calibrator is used for this purpose. A liquid of known specific gravity such as water is

used as the hydraulic medium between the gage and the Dead weight calibrator (Cimbala, 2014).

The dead weight calibrator uses a piston and cylinder mechanism to transmit pressure into the

gage. Since the true pressure can be determined, it is now possible to compare the gage readings

versus the calculated pressure. The piston imparts pressure through the application of known

weights on a flat platform attached at its head.

 Exp. 8 Gage Calibration

The governing equations are:

𝐹
𝑃=
𝐴

𝐹 = 𝑀𝑔

Where,

F = force applied to the fluid (N).

M = total mass Mp + Mw (kg).

A = piston cross-sectional (m2).

g = gravitational acceleration (9.81m/s2).

Procedure

After confirming the weight of the calibration masses, the dead weight calculator and piston

assembly were set up on top of the hydraulic bench. To ensure that the cylinder was level, we

tuned the adjustable feet while checking its flatness using the spirit level.

A flexible tube was fixed to link the base of the cylinder to the pressure gage. The cylinder, gage,

and interconnecting tubes were thereafter primed to eliminate air bubbles in the system. During

the priming stage, it was taken into consideration that the piston remains at the top of its travel so

that the cylinder was constantly full of water.

The pressure reading on the gage was recorded at zero weight on the piston. 0.5 kg weight were

then placed on the piston progressively and the respective gage readings recorded.
 Exp. 8 Gage Calibration

Results and discussion

Exp 8 Gage Calibration

100
Ggae reading G(KN/M2) 90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120

G vs Ea G vs % E

Figure 2 Graph of G vs Ea and G vs %E

The difference in pressure readings between the calculated cylinder pressure P and the recorded

gage pressure G appears to increase with increase in weight. This phenomenon may be attributed

to the elastic behaviour of the Bourdon tube when stretched.

The graph shows a linear elongation curve with a steady gradient as the weights are introduced

progressively up to a certain limit where the curve takes a negative gradient. This is the case for

both graphs.

Conclusion

The accuracy of the Bourdon gage is directly dependent on the weights applied and the tube

itself. It can be concluded that the errors from the gage are subject to change with continued use

of the apparatus.
 Exp. 8 Gage Calibration

References

Çengel, Y. A., & Cimbala, J. M. Fluid mechanics, Fundamentals and Applications (3rd ed.).
New York, 2014.
Humpherys, A. S. (1991). Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 1991.
Appendices

Appendix 1 Raw and Analysed data

Mp d A Mw M G P G-P G−P
P
(kg) (m) (m2) (kg) (kg) (KN/m2) (KN/m2) (KN/m2)
∗ 100%

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 0 0.502 22 22.385 0.385 1.718

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 0.5 1.002 41 44.680 3.680 8.237

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 1 1.502 61 66.976 5.976 8.922

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 1.5 2.002 81 89.271 8.271 9.265

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 2 2.502 95 111.566 16.566 14.849

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 2.5 3.002 90 133.862 43.862 32.767

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 3 3.502 80 156.157 76.157 48.770

0.502 0.0169 0.000224 3.5 4.002 80 178.453 98.453 55.170

Appendix 2 Sample calculations

𝜋𝑑 2 𝜋 ∗ 0.01692
𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝐴 = = = 0.000224𝑚2
4 4
𝑀𝑔 0.502 ∗ 9.81
𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑃 = = = 22.385𝐾𝑁/𝑚2
𝐴 0.000224 ∗ 1000
𝐸𝐴 = 𝐺 − 𝑃 = 22 − 22.385 = 0.385
𝐺−𝑃 0.385
𝐸% = ∗ 100 = ∗ 100 = 1.718%
𝑃 22.385