BOURDON TUBE

&
BELLOWS

Engr. Raymond J. Pidor, PECE

BOURDON TUBE

A device that senses pressure and

converts the pressure to
displacement

It is one of the most widely used
instruments for measuring the
pressure of liquids and gases of all
kinds, including steam, water and
air

It is available in various tube
shapes: curved or C-shaped,
helical, and spiral

In 1849, Eugene Bourdon, a
French engineer, patented the
Bourdon-tube pressure gauge in
France
1. C-SHAPED

A typical Bourdon-
tube contains a
curved tube that is
open to external
pressure input on
one end and is
coupled
mechanically to an
indicating needle
on the other end,
as shown
schematically
below.
SIMPLEX GAUGE

A simplex gauge has
only one Bourdon
tube and measures
only one pressure.

A red hand is
available on some
gauges. This hand is
manually positioned
at the
maximum operating
pressure of the
system or portion of
the system in which
the gauge is
installed.
DUPLEX GAUGE

two Bourdon
tubes mounted in a
single case, with eac
h mechanism acting
independently
but with the two
pointers mounted on
a common dial

each Bourdon
tube has its own
pressure connection
and its own pointer

are used to give a
simultaneous
indication of the
pressure from two
different locations
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE GAUGE
2. SPIRAL

Tube is
made from
tubing with
a flattened
cross
section
3. HELICAL
BELLOWS

Is a pressure transducer, which is essentially a
series of metal diaphragms connected together.

It contains an elastic element that is a convoluted
unit that expands and contracts axially with
changes in pressure.

The pressure to be measured can be applied to
the outside or inside of the bellows.

Like Bourdon-tube elements, the elastic elements
in bellows gauges are made of brass, phosphor
bronze, stainless steel, beryllium-copper, or other
metal that is suitable for the intended purpose of
the gauge.
CONT…

The motion of the element (bellows) is
transmitted by suitable linkage and gears to a
dial pointer.

Most bellows gauges are spring-loaded—that is,
a spring opposes the bellows and thus prevents
full expansion of the bellows.

The deflection is the result of the force acting on
the bellows and the opposing force of the spring.

Because of the elasticity in both the bellows and
the spring in a spring-loaded bellows element,
the relationship between the applied
pressure and bellows movement is linear.
BELLOWS ELEMENTS
DUAL BELLOWS INDICATORS

Another type of bellows element.

are used throughout the Navy as flow-
measuring, level-indicating, or pressure-
indicating devices.
CONT…

The bellows will move in proportion to the
difference in pressure applied
across the bellows unit assembly.

The linear motion of the bellows is picked up by
a drive arm and transmitted as a rotary
motion through a torque tube assembly.

The indicating mechanism multiplies rotation of
the torque tube through a
gear and pinion to the indicating pointer.