MECH 391 – Instrumentation

Static Calibration of a Bourdon Tube Pressure Gage Using a Dead Weight

Tester

In this lab students use a dead-weight tester to perform a static calibration of a bourdon tube
pressure gage. The calibrated gage is used to measur e the pressure of the laboratory air line.

Instructions

1. Read the dead-weight tester instructions attached to this handout.

2. In Table 1 record the number of the bourdon tube pressure gage you are issued. Also
record the range of the gage and the smallest increment of pressure that is marked on its
face. What percentage of full scale is the smallest marked increment?
3. Calibrate the pressure gage. Perform one or two ascending and descending calibration
cycles. In ascending cycles, each pressure is approached from below. For each reading,
record the “true” dead-weight tester pressure PT and gage reading PR. If possible, estimate
the gage reading to within one-half or one-quarter of the smallest marked increment.
Present the data in Table 2.
4. Plot PR versus PT in Figure 1. Assume that the “ideal” input-output relationship for you
gage is linear. Perform a least squares analysis to determine the slope (a) and intercept (b)
for the best- fit line, PˆR = aPT + b . Plot this function in Figure 1 using a solid line. Include an
equation for this line in the figure. Determine the standard deviation of the instrument
output Sy and input Sx and include them in the caption. What equation should be used to
determine actual pressure from a gage reading?
5. Include Sy in Table 1. How does Sy compare to the smallest pressure increment marked on
the gage?
6. Calculate the deviations between the pressure gage readings and the best- fit line
D = PˆR − PR and include that data in Table 2.
7. In Figure 2, plot the deviation as a function of the dead-weight tester pressure. Use circles
for the ascending data and squares for the descending data. Draw horizontal lines in Figure
2 at D = Sy and -Sy . Use appropriate scales in Figure 2 so that any trends in the data may
be easily observed. Describe any difference between the deviations for the ascending and
descending data. For instance, are the deviations for the ascending more consistently
negative than the deviations for the descending data? These differences may help you draw
conclusions regarding hysteresis of the gage. Indicate how well Sy describes the deviations
over the range of the calibration. Does the true instrument response appear to be nonlinear
(that is, are there systematic deviations from the linear fit)?
8. With the assistance of the Lab Instructor, connect your gage to the laboratory pressure line.
Measure the line pressure. What is the gage reading? Determine the confidence interval for
the actual pressure for which you have a 68% confidence level. What would have been the
error if you had not calibrated the pressure gage? Present these results in Table 2.