Experiment Nos.

(1) and (2)

Fundamentals of Pressure Measurement

1.1 Introduction
Measuring pressure is important in the engineering industry, e.g. in plant,
turbomachine and aircraft construction and in process engineering. Other fundamental
factors such as flow rate or flow velocity can also be determined based on a pressure
measurement.
The experimental unit enables the user to measure the pressure with two different
measuring methods:
1. Directly by measuring the length of a liquid column (U-tube manometer, inclined
tube manometer), and
2. Indirectly by measuring the change of shape of a Bourdon tube (Bourdon tube
pressure gauge).
In a U-tube manometer, the pressure causes the liquid column to move. The pressure
difference is read directly from a scale and is the measure for the applied pressure. In
inclined tube manometers, one leg points diagonally up. A small height difference
therefore changes the length of the liquid column significantly.
The principle of the Bourdon tube pressure gauge is based on the change in cross-
section of the bent Bourdon tube under pressure. This change in cross-section leads to an
expansion of the Bourdon tube diameter. A Bourdon tube pressure gauge is therefore an
indirectly acting pressure gauge where the pressure differential is indicated via a
transmission gearing and a pointer.
In experiments, pressures in the millibar range are generated with a plastic syringe
and displayed on the manometers. The experimental unit is equipped with two Bourdon
tube pressure gauges for measuring positive and negative pressure. The U-tube
manometer, inclined tube manometer and Bourdon tube pressure gauges at the
experimental unit can be combined using tubes. A calibration device enables calibration of
an additional Bourdon tube pressure gauge using a weight-loaded piston manometer.
1.2 Objectives
Familiarization with two different measuring methods:
1. Working principle of a Bourdon tube pressure gauge,
2. Calibrating mechanical manometers.
3. Determine systematic errors
4. Principle of operation and working with a piston manometer

1.3 Equipment and Material

1. Direct method with U-tube manometer and inclined tube manometer, see Fig. (1.1).

Syring
Fig. (1.1): U-tube manometer and inclined tube manometer
e
Fig. (1.1): U-tube manometer and inclined tube manometer

2. Indirect method with Bourdon tube pressure gauge, see Fig. (1.2).

Fig. (1.2): Bourdon tube pressure gauge

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 1.4 Results and Calculations
1. U-tube manometer and inclined tube manometer, see Fig. (1.3)
The pressure in a liquid at a given depth is called the hydrostatic pressure.
This can be calculated using the hydrostatic equation:
𝑷 = 𝜸𝒉 𝒐𝒓 𝑷 = 𝝆𝒈𝒉 (𝟏. 𝟏)
Where:
P = the pressure,
𝛾 = the specific weight
𝜌 = the density of the liquid,
g = gravity (9.8 m/s^2) and
h = the depth (or height) of the liquid.
Table (1.1): Manometer tube
U-tube manometer
No. 𝜸 dh 𝑷 = 𝜸𝒅𝒉
1
2
3
Inclined tube manometer
No. 𝜸 dh 𝑷 = 𝜸𝑳𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜶
1
2
3

Fig. (1.3): Manometer tube

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 2. Bourdon tube pressure gauge
The use of the piston and weights with the cylinder generates a measurable
reference pressure:
𝐹 𝑀𝑔
𝑃= = (1.2)
𝐴 𝐴
Where,
F = Force applied to the liquid in the calibrator cylinder in Newton (N).
M = Total mass including the mass of the piston in kilogram (kg).
A = Cross-sectional area of the piston in square meter (m2).
g = Acceleration due to gravity in meter per square second (m/s2).
The true pressure by dividing the weight (N) by the piston area, for example,
as shown in Table (1.2).

𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = |𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 − 𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔| (1.3)

|𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 − 𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔|

Relative error = (1.4)
𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
|𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 − 𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔|
% error = ∗ 100 (1.5)
𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒

Table (3.1): True Pressure and Gauge Readings

Total Load
Including Piston True Gauge Reading
Weight Pressure
KN/m2 Increasing Decreasing
M (g) W % error % error
Pressure Pressure

Draw the relationship between the true pressure and gauge reading on a grid
paper
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