Engineering Measurement

TA ZC 232

Pressure Measurement
Ch. 6
Lecture-8

Arshad Javed
Mechanical Engineering Group
BITS PILANI

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 Lecture Objectives
• Introduction: Pressure
• Mean Free Path
• Static and Dynamic Pressure
• Units of pressure
• Pressure Measuring Devices
- Manometer
- Bourdon-Tube
- Diaphragm and Bellows Gages
- Bridgman gage
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 Pressure
• Defined as force per unit area
P = F/A

• Can be thought of as a kind of stress

• In this case, the force will be exerted

on a containing wall by a fluid or gas.

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 Pressure…
Some important definitions:

• Absolute pressure:
the absolute value of the force per unit area exerted on a
containing wall by a fluid or gas.

• Gauge pressure:
the difference between the absolute pressure and the local
atmospheric pressure.

• Vacuum:
the amount by which the atmospheric pressure exceeds the
absolute pressure.

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 Pressure…

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 Pressure…
• Pressure is the result of a momentum exchange between the fluid
particles and the containing wall

• For an ideal gas the pressure can be expressed as:

p = (1/3)nmv2
where n = molecular density
m = molecular mass
v = root mean square molecular velocity

• Increasing the temperature gives the molecules more kinetic

energy and hence, more momentum is exchanged (more
pressure).
v = (3kT/m)1/2
where k = Boltzmann’s constant = 1.3803x10-23 J/molecule
T = temperature of gas in degrees K
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 Mean Free Path

Mean free path: the average distance a molecule

travels before colliding with another molecule.

• Dependent on the molecular density and the radius of the

molecules.
λ = (√2)/(8πr2n)
λ = mean free path in m
r = radius of individual molecule

• At standard atmospheric pressure and temperature the

mean free path is in the order of 0.00001 cm.
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 Mean Free Path…

• Determine the mean free path for air at 20 deg C and

pressure 1 atm, 1 torr, 1µm and 1.01µm.

Solution:
T = 273+20=293 K
Value of pressure in Pa
1 Atm= 1.0132 X 10-5
1 torr =133.32 Pa
1 µm = 0.13332 Pa
0.01 µm = 1.332 X 10-3

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 Mean Free Path…

Now by mean free path is find out by following equation,

λ= 2.27 X 10-5 T/P m
Putting the values..

λ (1 atm) = 2.27 X 10-8 m

λ (1 torr) = 4.989 X 10-5 m
λ (1 µm) = 0.04989 m
λ (0.01 µm) = 4.989 m

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 Static and Dynamic Pressure
• Static (steady-state) pressure can be measured easily
with high accuracy

• Dynamic pressure measurements are influenced by the

characteristics of the fluid being measured and the
devices construction.

• Static pressure measurement devices can sometimes be

totally unsuitable in a dynamic pressure situation.

• The design of a dynamic pressure measuring device is

more complex than that of static devices as the dynamic
response of the sensor must be considered.

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 Units of pressure
• SI units – Newton per square meter (N/m2) or Pascal (Pa)
• English system – pounds per square inch (psi)
• Absolute pressure – psia (pounds per square inch
absolute)
• Gauge pressure – psig (pounds per square inch
absolute)
• Atmosphere’s – multiples of standard atmospheric
pressure
• mmHg – pressure indicated by the height of a column of
mercury
Conversions:
1 atm = 14.696 psia = 1.01325x105 Pa = 760 mmHg
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 Pressure Measuring Devices

Pressure Measuring Device

- Manometer
- Bourdon-Tube
- Diaphragm and Bellows Gages
- Bridgman gage

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 Pressure Measuring Devices
Low Pressure Measuring device
-The McLeod Gage
-Pirani Thermal-Conductivity Gage
-The Kundsen Gage
-The Ionization Gage
-The Alphatron

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 How pressure is measured ?
• Mechanical sensors measure pressure based on
comparison with a reference pressure

• Where there is pressure differential there is a

force
P = F/A → F = P x A

• Can measure this force by measuring

deflection/strain in a mechanical transducer
element
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 1. Manometer

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 1. Manometer…
-Pressure measurement
by a manometer:

Measure Height h of liquid

column

Density of pressurized fluid is

dL and that of manometric fluid
is dM

then, p – pa = g h (dM - dL)

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 1. Manometer…
- Arrangement as shown in fig is called Barometer.
- Column contains Mercury
- The top of column contains mercury vapor
- Well is exposed to atmosphere
- The height of mercury represents the atmospheric
pressure
- At different altitude value of this pressure changes,
for altitudes between 0 and 36000 ft the standard
atmospheric pr. Is given by
5.26
p = po 1  BZ 
 T0 

po = std. atm. pr.
Z = Altitude
TO = 518.69 deg. R =288.16 K = 15 deg. C
B = 0.003566 deg. R/ft = 0.00650 K/m

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 Numerical Problems
Example 6.5:
Pabs = Patm- Pvacuum
Patm = (29.92)(25.4)=760mm Hg= 101.32 kPa

Hence, Pabs=101.32-75=26.32 kPa

Patm = Po[1-(BZ/To)]5.26
= (760)[1-(0.0035566)(5000)/518.69]5.26
= 84.29 kPa
Now, Pabs = 84.29-75= 9.29kPa
% error = (26.32-9.29)/9.29 = 183%

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A U-tube manometer employed a special oil of specific gravity of 890
Kg/m3.One side of the manometer tube is open to the
atmosphere pressure of 9.922 x 10^4 Pa. The difference in
column height is 30 cm, when connected to a gas outlet (density
= 0.9 Kg/m3). Calculate the pressure of the gas.

p- pa = g h (dm-df)
p =?
pa =99220 Pa
g = 9.8
h = 0.30m
dm = 890 Kg/m3
df =0.9 Kg/m3
Putting the values,
p-99220= 9.8 x 0.30 x (890 - 0.9)

p= 1.01834 x 105 Pa Ans

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A pressure measurement is made at 4,500 ft height indicating a
vacuum of 75 kPa. The weather bureau reports a pressure of
101.32kPa at the same place. The absolute pressure is to be
calculated from this information. What percent error would result if the
above barometric pressure were taken at face value?
[Temperature correction constant B = 0.003566 deg. R/ft, Temperature

To=518.69 R]

Pabs = Patm-Pv
=101.32-75
=26.32 KPa
Patm=Po = 85.88 KPa
Now, Pabs=85.88-75
=10.88 KPa
%error=141.91 %
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 2. Bourdon-Tube
Pointer
 Works by measuring change in
dimensions of ‘Bourdon Tube’.
Consists of an oval section tube bent
into a circular arc.
One end of the Bourdon tube is sealed
and free to move.
The other end of the Bourdon tube is
rigidly fixed and is open for the
transmission of pressure.

With some internal pressure the Bourdon tube

section becomes rounder and this causes it to
become straighter.
It is this motion, amplified mechanically, which
is indicated by the gauge needle.
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 2. Bourdon-Tube…
Advantages:
-Portable
-No leveling required
-Accurate

Disadvantages:
-Slow transient response (only static/qasi-static
measurements)
-Delicate

Applications:
-Steam Pressure in Boilers

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 3. Diaphragm and Bellows Gages
Diaphragm gage

The diaphragm is
connected to mechanical
linkages to which move a
calibrated pointer

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 3. Diaphragm and Bellows Gages …
Diaphragm gage

Advantages:
-Good Frequency Response
-Accuracy up to ±0.5% of full scale.

Disadvantages:
-More expensive then other pressure sensors

Applications:
-MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) Sensor

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 3. Diaphragm and Bellows Gages…
Bellows gage

• Same principle as
diaphragm gauges

• Pressure differential creates

measurable deflection in
transducer

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 3. Diaphragm and Bellows Gages (cotnd..)
Bellows gage
The linkage can be connected to pointer (as in
diagram) or to output transducer.

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 3. Diaphragm and Bellows Gages (cotnd..)
Bellows gage
Advantages:
-Larger displacement than diaphragm gauge (better
suited for mechanical pointers)

Disadvantages:
-Slow dynamic response (more mass and deflection)

Applications:
-Barometers
- Process Monitoring (e.g Pressure of gas in an
autoclave)

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 4. Bridgman gage

• Resistance of fine wires change according to eqn

R = R1(1 + b ∆P)
R1 → resistance at 1 atmosphere
b → pressure coefficient of resistance
(typically 2.5x 10-11 Pa)
∆P → gauge pressure

• Typically, wire is Manganin (84% copper, 12%

manganese, 4% nickel)
.

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 4. Bridgman gage

• A coil of the wire is fitted in side a suitable

pressure container.
• Change in resistance is sensed by bridge circuit.
• Not applied for a long period of time.
• Hence frequent calibration is required.
• It can be used for measuring high pressures

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 Suggested Problems
• 6.1
• 6.4
• 6.9
• 6.11
• 6.12

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 Questions?

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