5.

4 Bourdon and Helical Pressure Sensors PI

B. G. LIPTÁK (1969, 1982, 1995) J. E. JAMISON, S. EDVI (2003)

PT

Flow Sheet Symbol

Applications: Sensing elements for the measurements of medium to high pressures using atmo-
spheric reference. For pressure gauges and switches using these elements, see the
corresponding sections in this chapter.

Design Pressure: Up to 100,000 PSIG (690 MPa)

Design Temperature: Up to 600°F (316°C) with stainless steel Bourdon tube; lower with others; ±1% zero
shift per 50°F (28°C) ambient variation

Materials of Construction: Phosphor bronze, alloy steel, 316 and 403 stainless steel, beryllium copper, Monel,
Ni-Span C

Inaccuracy: 1/4 to 5% of span

Range: Minimum span 15 PSI (100 kPa); maximum span 100,000 PSI (690 MPa)

Costs: $50 to $300 for indicators and switches, $500 to $1,200 for direct recorders, and
$750 to $1,800 for direct controllers and transmitters. Quartz helix units range for
$2,500 for an electronic transmitter to $18,000 for an IEEE and RS-232 program-
mable, stable-alone station.

Partial List of Suppliers: ABB Automation Technology (formerly Kent-Taylor) (www.abb.com)

Ametek Inc., U.S. Gauge Div. (www.ametekusg.com)
Anderson Instrument Co. Inc. (www.andersoninstrumentco.com)
Bailey, a Unit of ABB (www.abb.com)
Barton Instruments Systems (www.barton-instruments.com)
Circle Seal Controls Inc. (www.circle-seal.com)
Dresser Industries, Instrument Div. (www.dresserinstruments.com)
Dwyer Instruments Inc. (www.dwyer-inst.com)
Helicoid Instruments Div. of Bristol Babcock (www.bristolbabcock.com)
Fischer & Porter, a Unit of ABB (www.abb.com)
Fisher Controls Int., a Div. of Emerson Process Management
(www.emersonprocess.com)
The Foxboro Co. (www.foxboro.com)
Honeywell Inc. (www.honeywell.com)
Marsh Instrument Co. (www.marshbellofram.com)
Marshalltown Instruments Inc. (www.marshbellofram.com)
Mensor Corp. (quartz helix) (www.e-pressure.com)
Mid-West Instrument (www.midwestinstrument.com)
Moeller Instrument Co. (www.moellerinstrument.com)
Moore Products, now part of Siemens Inc. (www.sea.siemens.com)
Noshok Inc. (www.noshok.com)
OCI Instruments Inc. (www.ociinstruments.com)
Palmer Instruments Inc. (www.palmerinstruments.com)
Perma-Cal Corp. (www.perma-cal.com)

731
© 2003 by Béla Lipták
732 Pressure Measurement

Ruska Instrument Corp. (quartz helix) (www.ruska.com)

Rosemount Inc., a Div. of Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com)
Span Instruments Inc.
Techscience International
Texas Instruments (quartz helix)
H.O. Trerice Co. (www.hotrerice.com)
Validyne Engineering Corp. (www.validyne.com)
Wallace & Tiernan Inc. (www.usfwt.com)
Weiss Instruments Inc. (www.weissinstruments.com)
Weksler Instruments Corp. (www.dresserinstruments.com)
Wika Instrument Corp. (www.wika.com)
Yokogawa Corp. of America (www.yca.com)

In 1852, E. Bourdon patented a curved or twisted tube that 10 1000 100,000 PSI
if held and pressurized at its open end, produced movement 100 10,000
at its closed end (tip travel).
Flat Oval Pointed Oval

THE BOURDON TUBE

Bourdon tube-type pressure elements are used to detect
higher pressures (spans exceeding 30 PSI, or 200 kPa),
because their spring gradient is insufficient for detecting
lower pressures or vacuums. Bourdon tubes are manufactured
in C, helical, and spiral forms (see Fig. 5.4a). The C-Bourdon
element is made by winding a tubular element circularly to
form a segment of a circle, the helical element is made by
winding the tube several turns into a helix, and the spiral is
formed by winding two or three turns in a spiral around the
same axis. In each of these cases the circular cross section
of the tube is flattened. When these elements are pressurized,
their cross section tends to become more circular, which tends
to straighten their shape (see Figure 5.4b). Helical and spiral
elements are used when it is desired to reduce the stress in
the tube and to increase the tip movement.
The design of Bourdon tubes is based on empirical equa-
tions and practical observations. The tubes can be made from
Bourdon Tubes
C-Shaped Helical Spiral
S S S
Flat Arch = 0.2 in.
FIG. 5.4b
Cross-sections of Bourdon tubes for various pressure ranges. (Cour-
tesy of WIKA Instrument Corporation.)
strain-hardened alloys (brass, bronze, 304 and 316 stainless
steel, or Monel), from heat-treated alloys (403, 4130, or 8630
stainless steel), and from precipitation-hardened alloys (beryl-
lium copper, Inconel X, Ni-Span C, and K Monel). Some of the
more desirable features of the Bourdon tube elements include
their fast speed of response (usually 0.1 s full scale) and good
sensitivity (0.01% of maximum pressure when unrestrained).
Their limitations include a nonlinearity of about 0.5% full
scale, which can be compensated mechanically or electroni-
cally; a 0.2 to 0.5% hysteresis on cycling pressures, which
can be minimized by heat treatment; and a sensitivity to
temperature variations, which can be reduced by the use of
bimetallic compensators or by the use of element materials
(Ni-Span C) having moduluses of elasticity that are insensi-
tive to temperature variations.
C-Bourdon Pressure Sensors

Figure 5.4c illustrates a C-Bourdon tube used in direct indi-

P cating gauges, which usually have an arc of 270 degrees. The
P
P process pressure is connected to the tube support end of the
tube, while the tip end is sealed. Because of the difference
between inside and outside radii, the Bourdon tube presents
different areas to pressure, which causes the tube to tend to
straighten when pressure is applied.
The resulting tip motion is nonlinear because less motion
results from each increment of additional pressure. This non-
linear motion has to be converted to linear rotational pointer
response. This is done mechanically by means of a geared
FIG. 5.4a sector and pinion movement. The tip motion is transferred to
The main types of flexible measuring elements. (Courtesy of WIKA the tail of the movement sector by the connector link. The
Instrument Corporation.) angle between the connecting link and the sector tail is called

© 2003 by Béla Lipták

 5.4 Bourdon and Helical Pressure Sensors 733

A See Fig. 5.6e

Force Bar Fulcrum
Section A-A A Stop & Seal
Pivot
Pinion
Flexure

Movement a Connecting
Link Atm. Process
Sector
Pressure
Traveling
Socket Angle C -Bourdon

Process
Pressure
FIG. 5.4c
Pressure gauge with C-Bourdon pressure element.
the traveling angle. This angle changes with tip movement in
a nonlinear fashion, compensating for the nonlinearity of the
tip movement. It is designed to minimize backlash and pro-
vide smooth roll-on and roll-off characteristics in the geared
sector. It is also designed to provide pinion movement by
using fine pitch gears or by eliminating the gears altogether
and using a cam sector that positions on a roller surface.
This design eliminates the gears that eventually wear out
and reduces the play that occurs when teeth are worn. On
gear and pinion designs, the operation has been improved by
the use of nylon and Teflon materials.
Table 5.4d lists Bourdon tube materials, noting some of
the important characteristics by the letters P (poor), F (fair),
G (good) and also indicating the maximum pressure range
that the Bourdon tube can detect.
As stated in Table 5.4d, Ni-Span C seamless tubing,
drawn to the profile in Figure 5.4c, is the best choice for
Bourdon tube applications in all cases except those at very
high pressure or those that are extremely corrosive. Direct
indicators or motion balance transmitters using C-Bourdon
elements are available with spans from 0–15 PSI to 0–20,000
PSI (0–100 kPa to 0–140 MPa) and can be used for positive,
negative, or compound pressure ranges, but the indication on
the vacuum side will not be accurate or sensitive. The accuracy
FIG. 5.4e
Force balance C-Bourdon pressure sensor.
of these devices is a function of the Bourdon tube diameter,
design quality, and calibration procedures. It can vary from
±0.1 to ±5% inaccuracy, with the majority of these units
failing in the area of ±1% (Table 5.11f).
The quality of C-Bourdon measurement can be influ-
enced by several factors. The large overhang in the element
makes it susceptible to shock or vibration. If a Bourdon
element has been calibrated on air and in the process it is
filled with liquid, weight of the fluid in the overhang will
introduce an error. In some applications, the tubes will need
to be flushed, for which purpose tube tip bleed valves are
available. On liquid service, air is likely to be trapped in the
tube end, which acts as a cushion and results in sluggish
performance. Bourdon designs are available with an internal
capillary tube that allows entrapped air to escape from the tip.
Figure 5.4e illustrates the design that uses a C-Bourdon
element in a force balance transmitter. (See Figure 5.6e for
a more detailed view of a force balance transmitter mecha-
nism.) The pressure applied to the Bourdon tube tends to
straighten it and move its tip to the left. The flexure transmits
the resulting force to the lower end of the force bar.
Due to the force balance nature of the unit, the force bar
is constantly balanced; the sensing Bourdon does not move
as long as the pressure sensed is within the range of the
instrument. If the range is exceeded, the lower end of the force
bar moves to the left, where it is supported by a limit stop.

TABLE 5.4d
Pressure Ranges and Other Characteristics of the Different Bourdon Tube Materials (1 PSI =
6.9 kPa = 0.069 bars)
Tube Material Corrosion Spring Rate Temp. Coefficient Hysteresis Maximum Pressure
Phosphorus bronze P F P F 800 PSIG
Beryllium copper P G P G 5000 PSIG
316 Stainless steel G P P P 10,000 PSIG
403 Stainless steel G P P P 20,000 PSIG
Ni-Span C G G G G 12,000 PSIG
K-Monel G P P P 20,000 PSIG

P = poor; F = fair; G = good.

© 2003 by Béla Lipták

734 Pressure Measurement
Process
Pressure
FIG. 5.4f
Spiral Bourdon element.
The Bourdon tube is made of Ni-Span C, and all other wetted
components are stainless steel. Available spans vary from
1000 to 12,000 PSI (6.9 to 83 MPa) with 150% overrange
protection. The inaccuracy of this transmitter is ±0.5% in the
lower and ±1% in the higher ranges. Maximum ambient
temperature is limited to 250°F (120°C).
Spiral Bourdon Pressure Sensors
The free end motion of the C-Bourdon tube is insufficient to
operate some of the motion balance devices, such as the
transmitters. The spiral element shown in Figure 5.4f is
essentially a series of C-Bourdon tubes joined end to end.
When pressure is applied, this flat spiral tends to uncoil and
produces a greater movement of the free end, requiring no
mechanical amplification. This increases the sensitivity and
accuracy of the instrument because no lost motion or friction
is introduced through the links and levers.
Standard spiral materials include bronze, steel, stainless
steel, beryllium copper, Monel, and Ni-Span C. Spans as low
as 10 PSI (69 kPa) are available for positive, negative, or
compound ranges. The various manufacturers use different
break points between the spiral and the helical elements.
Some start using helical elements at above 200 PSI (1.4 MPa)
spans; others stay with the spiral element up to 4,000 PSI
(27 MPa) and higher. Unflattened, heavy-wall, spiral tube
springs that detect pressures up to 100,000 PSIG (690 MPa)
are also available in direct indicators.
Figure 5.4g is a simplified illustration of an old, pneu-
matic motion balance transmitter operated by a spiral ele-
ment. While the flapper is substituted with an electronic
motion sensor in the majority of today’s pressure transmitters,
the nature of the sensor’s operation has not changed. The
sketch would also apply if the process pressure was detected
by a C-Bourdon or a helical element.
In this unit, the air supply passes through a restriction
before being applied to the top of the relay diaphragm and
the nozzle. An increase in process pressure tends to straighten
out the spiral, which causes the flapper to move closer to the
nozzle. This increases the nozzle back pressure sensed by the
relay diaphragm, which will move down, opening up the air
supply to the output. The increased output pressure is felt by
the feedback bellows and restores the flapper to its throttling
© 2003 by Béla Lipták
Feedback
Nozzle
Bellows
Flapper
Restriction
Air Vent
Output
Supply
Process Diaphragm
Pressure
FIG. 5.4g
Motion balance pressure transmitter with spiral element.
Process
Pressure
Moving
Tip
FIG. 5.4h
Helical Bourdon pressure sensor.
position. For each value of process pressure there is a corre-
sponding definite flapper position and output pressure, hence,
the name motion balance. The inaccuracy of these motion
balance pressure transmitters is generally placed at ±0.5%.
As shown in Figure 5.4g, they will read the process pressure
even if the air supply is lost.
Helical Bourdon Pressure Sensors
Figure 5.4h shows the construction of a helical Bourdon ele-
ment. This sensor produces an even greater motion of the
free end than the spiral element, eliminating the need for
mechanical amplification.
Other advantages of this design include the high over-
range protection available. For example, a 0 to 1,000 PSIG
(0 to 6.9 MPa) element may be safely exposed to 10,000
PSIG (69 MPa) pressure, and it is suitable for pressure mea-
surement on continuously fluctuating services. The range of
the helical coil is affected by the diameter, wall thickness,
number of coils used, and construction materials. High-pressure
elements might have as many as 20 coils, while low-span
sensors can have only 2 or 3 coils.
Available materials include bronze, beryllium copper, Ni-
Span C, and stainless steel. The various suppliers have dif-
ferent practices concerning the pressure levels at which they
change from spiral to helical elements. For this reason, helical
elements are available with spans from 0–30 PSI to 0–80,000
PSIG (0–200 kPa to 0–550 MPa), depending on the supplier.
For pressures exceeding 5,000 PSIG (35 MPa), heavy-duty
stainless steel is the standard element material.

Process
Pressure
Fused Quartz
Helical Element
Fused Quartz
Mirror Photo Cells
Lamp
Gear
Digital
Counter
Helical
Element &
Mirror
Balancing
Lamp
Motor
Photo Cells
FIG. 5.4i
Fused quartz helical pressure sensor.
Helical coils can also be used as the element in differential
pressure sensors if one of the pressures is acting on the outside
surface and the other on the inside of the coil.
Motion balance instruments with helical elements include
direct indicators, recorders, controllers, switches, and transmit-
ters with either pneumatic or electronic outputs. Their inaccu-
racy is normally in the area of ±1% of span.
Fused Quartz Helix Sensors As shown in Figure 5.4i, the
process pressure causes the free end of the helix to rotate
together with the mirror attached to it. The quartz helix is
mounted above a large precision gear that can rotate concentri-
cally around the pressure sensor. A lamp and a pair of photo
cells are attached to the gear. The light from the lamp is reflected
from the mirror and distributed equally on the two photo cells.
When the process pressure changes, the free end of the helix
rotates the mirror, unbalancing the photo cells. This signal
causes the balancing motor to turn the gear until the light falling
on the photo cells is equally distributed once more. Conse-
quently, the gear follows the movement of the free end of the
helix without mechanical contact. The rotation of the gear is
registered by a digital counter that is calibrated in pressure units.
This instrument detects vacuum, absolute, gauge, and
−3
differential pressures between 1 µm (10 mmHg) and 500
PSIG (3.5 MPa) in several ranges with a minimum span of
5 PSI (35 kPa). The device is repeatable to two parts in
100,000 or inaccurate to ±0.01%.
© 2003 by Béla Lipták
5.4 Bourdon and Helical Pressure Sensors 735
Its resolution and sensitivity are high while its hysteresis
is negligible. It is presently used in laboratories, but the
principle should make it suitable for industrial installations
in which precision pressure detection is desired. The cost is
high and the unit is sensitive to, and thus should be protected
from, vibration. One of its drawbacks is the slow response
speed of 2 min for full-scale travel.
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