SUMMARY

Calibration is the term applied to checking the accuracy

or the working condition of the concerned device. So,
the calibration of Bourdon Pressure Gauge refers to the
checking of its accuracy or reliability in taking a
reading.
The piston was taken out and cylinder was filled with
water until it overflowed, the piston is replaced and
allowed to settle and then loaded with 10 loads of
0.5kg increments starting from 1kg. The true pressure
for each load is calculated by multiplying the mass of
the load by constant g, then dividing it by the area of
the piston.
The graph drawn gives a positive slope meaning the
gauge pressure acquired corresponds to the true
pressure, finding the real pressure in fluids.

This exercise being a simple one, Nene Addico and Ms

Ahiable read and recorded the values, while Adjei Kofi
and Prince Abrokwah loaded and unloaded the setup.

INTRODUCTION
Typically, pressure gauges are devices used for measuring the
pressure of a gas or liquid. The bourdon gauge was in 1849
named after its French inventor Eugne Bourdon.
It is still one of the most widely used instruments for measuring
the pressure of liquids and gases of all kinds, including steam,
water, and air up to pressures of 100,000 pounds per square
inch.
It consists of a hollow metal tube with an oval cross section,
bent in the shape of a hook. One end of the tube is closed, the
other open and connected to the measurement region. If
pressure (above local atmospheric pressure) is applied, the oval
cross section will become circular, and at the same time the
tube will straighten out slightly. The resulting motion of the
closed end, proportional to the pressure, can then be measured
via a pointer or needle connected to the end through a suitable
linkage.

OBJECTIVE
To calibrate a pressure gauge

APPARATUS
1. The bourdon Pressure gauge
2. Dead weights (in kilograms)

DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

The bourdon pressure gauge was placed on stable surface and the piston
carrying the weights was inserted into the cylinder which had initially
been filled to its maximum capacity with water (lubricant).

THEORY
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
behaviour. The S.I. unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to one
newton per square meter (N/m2 or kgm1s2).

Mathematically:

Where:
P is the pressure,
F is the normal force,
A is the area.
Pressure is a scalar quantity. It relates the vector surface element (a
vector normal to the surface) with the normal force acting on it. The
pressure is the scalar proportionality constant that relates the two normal
vectors:

The minus sign comes from the fact that the force is considered towards
the surface element, while the normal vector points outward.
It is incorrect (although rather usual) to say "the pressure is directed in
such or such direction". The pressure, as a scalar, has no direction. It is
the force given by the previous relationship to the quantity that has a
direction, not the pressure. If we change the orientation of the surface
element, the direction of the normal force, changes accordingly, but the
pressure remains the same.
The S.I. unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to one newton per
square meter (N/m2 or kgm1s2).

PROCEDURE
1. The weight of the piston and its cross-sectional area were
recorded.
2. The piston was removed, and the cylinder was filled with
water (acting as a lubricant) till it overflowed.
3. By tilting and gently tapping the apparatus, trapped air in
the tube was cleared.
4. Ensuring the cylinder was vertical; the piston was replaced
and allowed to settle.
5. The dead weighs were loaded onto the platform on the
piston in 0.5 increments starting from 1kg, for 10
increments.
6. For each weight increment the gauge reading on the dial
was read.
7. The process was repeated in both loading and unloading
the weights.

RESULTS
Piston (plunger + platform) = 1kg
Piston Area (A) = 315mm2 = 0.315m2
Total mass (KG) 31.14 = KN/m2
TRUE PRESSURE (PT) =

F mg
=
(N /m2)
A A

Where; g = 9.81m/s2

LOAD
m (KG)

GAUGE PRESSURE

WEIGHT

(KN/m2)
INCREASING DECREASI

(mg)(N)

TRUE
PRESSURE
(PT)(N/m2)

NG

1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5

COMMENTS

56
72
89
103
120
135
150
165
181
194

58
73
91
108
123
138
153
168
182
194

9.810
14.715
19.620
24.525
29.430
34.335
38.240
44.145
49.050
53.955

31.14
46.71
62.29
77.86
93.43
109.00
124.57
140.14
155.71
171.29

The following deductions can be made by the test performed on

the Bourdon Pressure Gauge;
The gauge has a zero error, because with no applied
pressure, the gauge still gave a reading.
Neglecting the zero error the gauge always gave a result
which was less than the applied pressure. The degree of
discrepancy increased with the increasing pressure.
Following points can be raised to account for the test results.
May be the fluid used was compressible, so it does not
transmit pressure equally in all directions, so recorded
values were less. Also since compression increases with
greater applied force, so does the error in recoded values.
The gauges Bourdon tube could have been misshaped.
The gauges gear system might be faulty.
From the graph, the gauge pressure is seen to be directly
proportional to the true pressure, as the graph is positive.
This implies that the true pressure against the gauge pressure
will help read the correct bourdon gauge pressure, since the
gauge pressure acquired will have a corresponding true
pressure reading from the graph.