CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO INSTRUMENTS AND

THEIR REPRESENTATION

Objective
- To know the objectives of
performing experiments
To identify the functional
elements in instruments

Objectives of performing
experiments:Measurements of system
parameters information
Control of a certain process or
operation
Simulation of system conditions
Experimental design studies
To perform various manipulation

Testing material, maintenance of

standard and specifications of
product.
Verification of physical
phenomenal/scientific theories
Quality control in industry.

WHY WE PERFORMED EXPERIMENTS?

To validate and verify theoretical

concepts

To develop new methods and

products

To evaluate the performance and

behavior of existing products

TYPICAL APPLICATION AREAS OF INSTRUMENTS

SYSTEMS

BASIC AND AUXILIARY FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS

FUNCTIONAL ELEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENTS

Transducer element
Signal conditioning
element
Data presentation
element

TRANSDUCER ELEMENT

SIGNAL CONDITIONING ELEMENT

Amplification

Mechanical Amplifying elements

Hydraulic/Pneumatic Amplifying elements
Optical Amplifying Elements
Electrical Amplifying Elements

Signal Filtration

Mechanical filters
Pneumatic filters
Electrical Filters

DATA PRESENTATION ELEMENT

The output of the signal conditioning

elements are presented to be read or
seen.

Fast
Little drag
Small inertia, friction

CLASSIFICATION OF INSTRUMENTS

Deflection and Null Types

Manually Operated and Automatic
Types
Analog and Digital Types
Self Generating and Power Operated
Types
Contacting and Non Contacting Types
Dumb and Intelligent Types

STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION

Measurement the act of quantitative

comparison between a predefined
standard and the unknown magnitude
of a physical quantity
Standard the physical representation
of the unit of measurement

STANDARD OF MEASUREMENTS

International Standards
Primary Standards
Secondary Standards
Working standard

CALIBRATION

The act or result of quantitative

comparison between a known standard
and the output of the measuring
system measuring the same quantity

CALIBRATION PROCEDURE

Primary calibration
Secondary calibration
Direct calibration with known input
source
Indirect calibration
Routine calibration

THE ENGINEER SHOULD KNOW WHAT

to look for before beginning the experiments.

to measure skillfully certain physical
variables
to specify the degree of accuracy
the limitation of the apparatus
the expected error and deviations from true
measurements

Experiment is not mainly to measure

physical variables but also to control its.

The accuracy of control is dependent on the

accuracy of measurement.

Statistical techniques - to analyze

measured data to determine expected error
and deviation from true measurements.