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EI2251 / INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTATION – I

YEAR / Semester: II A / IV

COURSE CO-ORDINATOR: C.MAGESH KUMAR

https://sites.google.com/site/mrcmageshkumar

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 UNIT III
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

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 UNIT III PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
•Units of pressure
•Manometers-Different types
•Elastic type pressure gauges: Bourdon tube, bellows and
diaphragms
•Electrical methods:
–Elastic elements with LVDT & strain gauges
•Capacitive type pressure gauge
•Piezo-resistive pressure sensor
•Resonator pressure sensor
•Measurement of vacuum:-
–McLeod gauge, Thermal conductivity gauges
–Ionization gauges:– Cold cathode and hot cathode type
•Testing and calibration of pressure gauges-Dead weight
tester.
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 PRESSURE
• Pressure is defined as the amount of force
applied to a surface or distributed over the
surface.
• For a fluid at rest, pressure can be defined as the
force exerted perpendicularly by the fluid on a
unit area of any bounding surface.
• Pressure is defined as force per unit area.
• It is usually more convenient to use pressure
rather than force to describe the influences upon
fluid behavior.
• The standard unit for pressure is the Pascal,
(Newton per square meter)
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For an object sitting on a surface, the force pressing on
the surface is the weight of the object, but in different
orientations it might have a different area in contact with
the surface and therefore exert a different pressure

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 Units of Pressure
• For high pressure:
– Pascal  Newton per square meter  Kg m/s2
– Atmospheric pressure (1 atm) = 14.696 psi = 101.325 kPa
– PSI (Pounds per square inch)
• 1 PSI = 0.0703 Kg /cm2  1 Kg /cm2 = 14.696 psi
• For low pressure
– 1 BAR = 1.03 Kg /cm2
– 1 millibar = 14.5 x 10^-3 psi
– 1 torr = 1 mm of Hg = 19.34 x 10^-3 psi = 1000
microns

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 Types of pressure
• Gauge pressure (Pg):
– The indication of pressure as 0 psi (0 point indication) at surface
of liquid even though the pressure is 14.7 psi actually.
– Unit: psig (pounds per square inch gauge)
– Pg = Pabs - Patm
• Absolute pressure (Pabs)  14.7 psi:
– Actual total pressure acting on surface of a liquid.
– Unit: psia (pounds per square inch absolute)
• Vacuum or differential pressure:
– Pressure below zero
• Atmospheric pressure (Patm):
– Pressure due to surrounding air at earth surface
Pabs = Patm + Pg
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 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESSURES

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 MANOMETER
• For low pressure measurements, differential
pressure
• Range  0-2 Kg / cm2
• Types:
– U tube manometer
– Manometer with large seal pots
– Well type manometer
– Enlarged leg type manometer
– Inclined tube manometer
– Micro manometer
– Ring Balance Manometer
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 U tube manometer
• Pressure of a fluid which
is less dense &
immissible with
manometric fluid.
• P1 + ghρ1 = P2 + ghρm
P1 - P2 = ghρm - ghρ1
= gh (ρm - ρ1)

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 Seal liquid manometer

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 Manometer with large seal pots
• To increase the range
P1 - P2 = gh (ρm - ρ1)

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 Well type manometer
• Level variation in well is negligible
• Level of well is set to ‘0’ of scale
• P1 - P2 = ghρm (1 + α2 / α1)

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 Enlarged leg type manometer
• P1 - P2 = ghρm (1 + α2 / α1)
• Float is connected to pressure indicator (scale)

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 Inclined tube manometer
• To measure very small pressure difference
• β is varied in order of 10’
• P1 - P2 = ghρm cos β (1 + α2 / α1)

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 Micro manometer
• For measurement of extremely small pressure
• Flexible
• Before applying pressure, the meniscus of
inclined tube is adjusted to reference level
using maginifier (P1 = P2)
• When Pressure is applied, P1 ≠ P2, so
micrometer is adjusted so that P1 = P2.
• The micro meter difference gives differential
pressure
• Accuracy = ±10^-2 to ± 10^-3 mm of Hg

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 Micro manometer

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 Ring Balance Manometer
• Made of polythene / transparent material
• Kerosene/ paraffin oil
• P1 – P2 = 2WR Sin ɸ / αd

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 Manometeric Fluid

• Mercury, water, Kerosene, Paraffin, Ethyl

alcohol
• Mercury because:
– Specific gravity of Hg is known at various
temperature
– Low vapor pressure
– Non-sticky nature
– Wide temperature range (250 to 350 ‘C)

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 Errors in manometer
• Temperature effect: Temperature ↑ Density↓
• Capillary effect: dia of tube is increased (over
10 mm dia), is neglected when same
manometeric fluid is used
• Variable meniscus effect:
Meniscus – cresent shaped top surface of liquid
Convex – due to high surface tension of mercury
Concave - due to low surface tension of mercury
 Always read the center of meniscus of liquid.
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 Errors in manometer
Variable meniscus effect

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 Elastic type pressure gauges:
Bourdon tube, bellows & diaphragms
• Bourdon tube:
– Range: 0-15 psig to 0-100,000 psig (100 Kpa to 690
KPa)
• Materials used:
– Phosphor bronze, steel, beryllium copper

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 Bourdon tube

• Principle: When a fluid under pressure enters a

tube, it tend to straighten due to pressure.
• Error due to friction in spindle bearing  lost
motion

• Type:
– C type Bourdon tube
– Spiral type
– Twisted tube
– Helical type
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 Adjustments of Bourdon Tube
• Multiplication adjustment:
– Due to stress developed in bourdon tube, actual
tip travel is non-linear in nature. The small linear
tip movement is matched with rotational pointer
movement, is called as multiplication, that can be
adjusted by length of lever.
– Shorter lever gives larger rotation for the same
amount of tip travel.

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 Adjustments of Bourdon Tube
• Angularity:
– Linear motion is converted to circular motion with
link lever & pinion arrangement.
– One to one correspondence between link lever &
pinion attachment may not occur & distortion
results is known as angularity

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 BELLOWS ELEMENT
• For measurement of absolute pressure
(normal as well as low pressure)
• More sensitive to pressure hence used for low
pressure measurement.
• Range: 0 – 35 psig
• Very low pressure (40 mm Hg) can be
measured by making bellow large.
• Materials (alloy which is ductile (elastic,
spongy)): Brass, stainless steel, phosphor
bronze, beryllium copper
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 BELLOW PRESSURE ELEMENT
• Principle: When an elastic pressure sensor
(Bellow) is subjected to pressure, it deflects.
The deflection is proportional to applied
pressure when calibrated.
– The open end is used to receive applied pressure
– The closed end will expand due to pressure which
is recorded or indicated.
– Rack & pinion arrangement.

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 BELLOW PRESSURE ELEMENT
• Spring opposed bellow element -

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DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
USING BELLOW ELEMENT
• 2 bellows at opposite direction
• P1 = P2, P1 > P2, P2> P1

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 DIAPHRAGM
• Measurement of pressure in very low range,
range  0 to 4 mm. & high precision
instruments
• Flat, flexible discs or corrugated plates
• Materials: Beryillium copper, brass, monel,
Titanium
• Range: 0 – 200 psig

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 DIAPHRAGM - TYPES

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 DIAPHRAGM
• Principle: the force (applied pressure) acts
against the thin stretched diaphragm that
causes a deflection, which is proportional to
applied pressure.
• Diaphragm center deflects the most.
• The deflection of diaphragm is restricted to
less than 1/3 of its thickness.
• Gauge types:
– Metallic diaphragm gauge
– Slack diaphragm gauge
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 METALLIC DIAPHRAGM GAUGE
• Portable, works in any position.
• Used mostly in aircrafts.
• the force (applied pressure) acts against the
thin stretched diaphragm that causes a
deflection, which is proportional to applied
pressure.

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 METALLIC DIAPHRAGM GAUGE

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 METALLIC DIAPHRAGM GAUGE

• Corrugated diaphragm increases the strength

of capsule member and gives linear deflection.
• Total amount of deflection: (d)
d = KN (P1 – P2)Dn tm
K- constant of shell material & desigh
N – no. of capsules
D – capsule diameter
t – shell thickness
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 SLACK DIAPHRAGM GAUGE
• A diaphragm with large change in force from
small change in pressure. Similarly making the
diaphragm slack (loose) rather than tight
allows it to move a large distance in response
to small pressure change.
• Made of rubber.
• Pressure range: 0.01 – 0.40 mm Hg
• Accuracy: 1 – 2 %

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 SLACK DIAPHRAGM GAUGE

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ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT
• Movement of pressure sensor is converted in
electrical signals
• “Mechanical motion is converted into change
in electrical resistance and then change in
resistance is converted into electric current or
voltage”.
• Methods:
– Elastic elements with strain gauges
– Diaphragm with strain gauges
– Elastic elements with LVDT
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• Electrical pressure sensors consist of
– Primary sensing element (Bourdon tube, Bellow,
Diaghragm)
– Primary conversion element (resistance)
– Secondary conversion element
• Elastic elements: Bourdon tube, Bellow,
Diaghragm

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 ELASTIC ELEMENTS WITH STRAIN GAUGES
• Principle: Due to mechanical stress (stretched or
compressed), the resistance of strain gauge will change
which is measured using wheatstone bridge.
• The measured output voltage is proportional to applied
pressure.

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 DIAPHRAGM WITH STRAIN GAUGES

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 Elastic elements with LVDT

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