Lecture 11

Pressure Measurements
Techniques to measure pressure.

Pressure Measurement
Pressure
Pressure = Force/Area
Units of force per unit area

Pressure measurements.
All pressure measurements are relative
measurements.
The measurement of a pressure at a point is relative
to, or referred to, a reference pressure.

Pressure References
Absolute Pressure:
Measured relative to a zero pressure or a
perfect vacuum.

Gauge Pressure:
Measured relative to the local ambient
pressure.

Differential Pressure:
Measured pressure between two point.

Barometer
Aneroid from Greek aneros not wet

Mercury Barometer
Measurement of Atmospheric Pressure

Manometers
Manometers are one of the oldest
pressure measuring devices.

How could you make a U-tube

manometer more sensitive?
Change Manometer fluid.
Incline the manometer.
Combine inclined and straight sections.

Inclined Manometer

Pressure Transducers
What is a pressure transducer?
A pressure transducer is a device that
converts a pressure signal to an electric
signal.

What type of devices can be used to

create a pressure transducer?
Strain gage devices
Capacitance devices
Piezoelectric devices

Pressure Transducer
Strain gage device

Strain gage is attached to a flexible

membrane. When the membrane is
deflected the resistance in the strain
gage changes.

Pressure Transducer
Capacitance device

The capacitance between two plates changes

with the distance between the plates.

Pressure Transducer
Piezoelectric device

Piezoelectric device take advantage of the

electrical properties of crystals such as
quartz. These crystals generate an
electrical charge when they are strained.

Pressure Sensitive Paint

Pressure Probes to Measure

Velocity
Pitot Static Probe

Measuring Velocity Components

Five hole Pressure Probe
How would you calibrate this
probe?

Pressure Models
Airfoils, wings and complete airplane
models equipped with pressure ports can
be used to determine model loads and
load distribution.
Pressure models provide more detail on
how the loads are generated than a force
balance.
Disadvantage is pressure measurement of
model forces is more time consuming.

How to you create a pressure

model?
Suppose you have designed a new airfoil
section and you want to determine its
aerodynamic performance and its
pressure distribution, how would make
such a model?