Experiment (3)

Determination of Pressure using different pressure measuring devices

Objective:
Determination of pressure using different pressure measuring devices such
as, U-tube manometer and Bourdon's pressure gauge and Barometer.

Apparatus:
Bourdon Gauge, Dead weight tester (piston and cylinder), Mercury
manometer, barometer, and connected tubes.

Theory:
Pressure is defines as force per unit area (Pa)
F mg
P= =
A A
Different units of pressure include bar, Pa, N/m 2, kg/cm2, m H2O, psi, mm Hg, and
torr.

1 Eng. Ahmad Al-

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1.Bourdon gauge:
A Bourdon Gauge is a mechanical
pressure gauge. It consists of an elastic
metal tube, having elliptical cross-
section. The tube is bent in C- shape one
end is sealed and connected by a link to
a geared sector. When the tube tries to
straighten it pulls on a connecting arm
which turns a needle that is against a
card that indicates pressure in Bar or
kN/m².

2. U- tube Manometer.
Manometers measure a pressure
difference by balancing the weight of a
fluid column between the two pressures
of interest. Large pressure differences
are measured with heavy fluids, such as
mercury. Small pressure differences,
such as those experienced in
experimental wind tunnels or Venturi
flowmeters, are measured by lighter
fluids such as water.
Manometers are consisted of transparent
tube – shape (∪) contains a liquid
denser than the liquid to be measure
pressure difference between two points.
∆ P=ρgh
kg
ρ=¿ Mass density of liquid
m3
m
g=¿ Acceleration gravity 2
s
h=¿ Difference between two limbs of
manometer(m)

2 Eng. Ahmad Al-

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3. Barometer:

A barometer is a scientific instrument

used to measure atmospheric pressure,
the weight of the air in the atmosphere.
A mercury barometer has a glass tube
with a height of at least 84 cm, closed at
one end, with an open mercury-filled
reservoir at the base. The weight of the
mercury creates a vacuum in the top of
the tube. Mercury in the tube adjusts
until the weight of the mercury column
balances the atmospheric force exerted
on the reservoir.

4. Static pressure:

Static pressure is uniform in all

directions, so pressure measurements
are independent of direction in an
immovable (static) fluid.

Dead weight tester:

A dead weight tester (DWT) is a

calibration standard method that uses
a piston cylinder on which a load is
placed to make an equilibrium with an
applied pressure underneath the piston.

Units of pressure

1 atm = 1 bar =105Pa (N/m²) =14.7 psi (lbf/in²) =10.33 m H2O

3 Eng. Ahmad Al-

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 Procedures:
1. Bourdon gauge:

1. Close the right valve.

2. Fill the cylinder of the Dead weight tester with water and insert the piston
without extra weights, pull the piston quickly to calibrate the gauge.
3. Refill the cylinder with water and add known weights, rotate the piston
slowly and record the reading in both units.

2. Manometer:

1. Fill the cylinder of dead weight tester with water.

2. If air present in the system disconnect the tube and fill with water.
3. Open the vent to exhaust air from the system then close it.
4. Open the right valve that connects the manometer and Bourdon gauge.
5. Load the piston with (0.5 kg) and (1 kg) mass and record the levels of each
manometer limb.

Calculations & Results:

Absolute Erorr=|theor −exp|

th eor −exp
Relative Erorr= × 100 %
theor

Applied Pressure
mass height h Pressure (theoretical) Error
(kg) (m) (Exp.) Pa Bar mH2O Abs Relative
0.5
1.0
1.5
Manometer calculations:

4 Eng. Ahmad Al-

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Bourdon gauge calculations:

Applied Gauge reading Calculations (theoretical) Error

mass (kg) Bar mH2O N/m² Bar mH2O Abs Relative
0.5
1.0
1.5

Barometer readings:

Convert the value of the local pressure at Al-Huson College University into the
equivalent values in inHg, Pa, Bar, torr.

Nominal Area of piston =2.45 ×10−4 m²

Nominal mass of piston = 0.5 kg

Density of mercury = 13.54 × 103 kg/m3

5 Eng. Ahmad Al-

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