High Pressure Measurement
Shakshi Mittal, Department of Electrical Engineering, Electrical Measurement and Instrumentation
Abstract: This paper is all about high
pressure measurement, Bourdon tube, its
principle, selection material, application
and advantages, Basically, Pressure above
7000 bar is measured by this tube. To
measure pressure in different range
pressure measuring devices are divided in
different category. This Bourdon tube is
used in different field like aerospace etc. to
measure pressure.
Basic Principle of Bourdon tube is : when
pressurized, a flattened tube tends to
straighten or regain its circular form in
cross-section. When a gauge is
pressurized, the Bourdon creates the dial
tip travel to enable pressure measurement.
Keyword- Pressure, High pressure,
Bourdon tube, force, circular path,
Resistance
1. Introduction
We can easily convert pressure to force. A
force can then be measured by balancing it
against a known force.
Pressure can be measured by a)
balancing against a column of liquid of
known density: various manometers b)
balancing against a known force: Piston,
Ring balance, Bell-type gauge c)
balancing the force produced on a known
area against the stress in an elastic medium:
Bourdon tubes, Diaphragm types, Bellows
Another possible classification is based on
the Range of Pressure measurement:
a) Moderate Pressure Measurement
b) High Pressure Measurement
c) High-Vacuum (very low pressure)
Measurement
For measurement of pressure up to
7000MPa, Bourdon Tube can be used.
2. BOURDAN TUBE pressure
gauge
2.1 Overview
Bourdon tube pressure gauges are used for
the measurement of relative pressures
upto7000MPa. They are classified as
mechanical pressure measuring instruments
and operate without any electrical power.
2.2 Diagram
Bourdon tubes are radially formed tubes
with an oval cross-section. The pressure of
the measuring medium acts on the inside of
the tube and produces a motion in the non-
clamped end of the tube. This motion is the
measure of the pressure and is indicated via
the movement. The C-shaped Bourdon
tubes, formed into an angle of approx. 250°,
can be used for pressures up to 60 bar. For
higher pressures, Bourdon tubes with
several superimposed windings of the same
angular diameter (helical tubes) or with a
spiral coil in the one plane (spiral tubes) are
used.
 2.3 Operating Principle
A) Inlet Pipe
B) Socket Block
C) Stationary end of the Bourdon
tube
D) Moving end of the Bourdan tube
E) Pivot and pivot pin
F) Sector gear
G) Indicator needle
This pressure gauge is attached to a
pipeline at the inlet pipe (A). The inlet
pipe is held in place by the socket block
(B), which also holds the device to the
process line. Pressure flows into the
stationary end of the Bourdon tube (C).
The pressure is distributed through the
C-shaped Bourdon tube (D). As a result
of this pressure, the C-shape
straightens. A pivot and pivot pin (E)
connect the straightening movement
with the sector gear (F) at the moving
end of the Bourdon tube. Due to the
gearing system, the movement at the
moving end of the Bourdon tube is
amplified so that a very slight pressure
change results in a considerable motion
of the indicator needle (G). Generally,
the indicator moves from left to right in
a circular path over a calibrated scale. A
decrease in pressure will result in the
Bourdon tube returning to its original
position.
The bourdon tube pressure gauge
exhibits high sensitivity to pressure
changes, thus, ensures higher accuracy
and precision in the reading.
Furthermore, the vibration and
corrosion resistance offered by the
pressure gauge makes it the preferred
choice of many industries for their
pressure measurement applications.
2.4 Selection Criteria
When selecting a bourdon pressure gauge
for application, the following criteria
should be considered:
Gauge Material: The gauge material
should have chemical compatibility with
the fluid media. This is to avoid gauge
failure due to issues like corrosion. The
most common housing material for the
bourdon tube pressure gauge is stainless
steel, aluminium, or copper alloys.
Stainless steel is the preferred choice when
working with corrosive media.
Gauge diameter: The dial size for the
bourdon tube pressure gauge is available in
a wide range of diameter options depending
upon your space limit and readability
requirement. The dial diameter is generally
available from 1 to 16 (25 mm to 406 mm)
range.
Pressure Range: To ensure there is no
excess stress exerted on the bourdon tube, it
is important to consider the maximum and
minimum pressure ranges of the
application. The maximum operating
pressure should not exceed 75% of the full-
scale range and 65% for pulsating pressure.
Temperature Range: The normal
temperature ranges for bourdon tube
pressure gauge are:
 Dry or Silicon filled gauge: -40°F
to +140°F (-40°C to +60°C)
 Glycerine or oil-filled gauge: -4°F
to +140°F (-20°C to +60°C)
Vibration resistivity: If the gauge is to be
exposed with no or least vibration
environment, the dry gauge can be used.
However, in case of excess vibration, the  Use with heavy vibration
dry gauge will shake the pointer making it application and dynamic pressure
hard to read the measurement. In this case, load
the wet gauge is the best solution. The
liquid in the gauge absorbs the shake and Conclusion:
pulsation that allows easy reading of To measure different pressure high, very
accurate pressure. high low, different pressure gauges are
Corrosion resistance: The stainless-steel used, like manometer, u-tube etc. Bourdon
liquid-filled gauge is recommended to keep tube is one of high-pressure measuring
the gauge from high corrosion. The liquid device.
(oil or glycerine) filled gauge lubricates and References:
protects against corrosion for the pointer.
1. Nptel lectures
Mounting options: Generally, the 2. You tube
bourdon tube pressure gauges are available 3. Wikipedia
with horizontal or vertical threaded 4. Piprocessinstrumentation.com
connections or panel mounting options.

Pressure unit: The pressure measure unit

for the bourdon tube pressure gauge is bar
or psi. The pressure may usually range from
0.6 to 7000 bar (8 to 10000 psi).
2.5 Applications
The bourdon tube pressure gauge is the
most common pressure gauge and is use in
a wide range of applications for medium to
high-pressure measurement. The most
common industries that utilize the bourdon
tube pressure gauge are:
 Chemical processing plant
 Agricultural sprayers
 Automotive
 Marine
2.6 Advantages of
Bourdon tube
Compared to other types of pressure gauge,
the bourdon tube pressure gauge
advantages are:

 Relatively low cost

 Compact design
 Safety in the measurement of high-
pressure ranges
 Measurement accuracy