Pressure Measurements

Learning Outcomes

Differentiate absolute pressure from gauge pressure

Study different types of pressure measurement systems

Understand the working standards that measure

pressure directly.

Analyze transmission line effects on the dynamic

behavior of pressure.
Introduction
Pressure represents a contact force per unit
area
It acts inwardly, and normally to a surface
Pabs = Pgauge + Patm
Typical pressure units:
Pascal = 1 N/m2
1 psi = 6.895 kPa
1 atm = 101.325 kPa = 14.696 psi = 760 mmHg
1 bar = 100 kPa
Pressure measurements
The pressure exerted on a surface submerged
in a column of fluid at a depth h is
Pabs(h) = Po(ho) + ρ g h,
where Po is the pressure at datum ho.
Example
Determine the absolute and gauge pressures and the
equivalent pressure head at a depth of 10 m
below the free surface of a pool of water at 20C .
Solution
 Pressure Reference Instruments
Barometer
A barometer consists of an inverted tube containing a
fluid and is used to measure atmospheric pressure
Manometer
A manometer is an instrument used to measure
differential pressure based on the relationship between
pressure and the hydrostatic equivalent head of fluid.

The static sensitivity of the U-

tube manometer is given by
Inclined Manometer
Inclined (W ell-type) manometers (differential pressure)
To ↑ the sensitivity of manometers when measuring
small changes in pressure, we can incline one leg of
the manometer.
Inclined Manometer- Example
An inclined manometer with the inclined tube set at 300 ±
1 (95% assumed) degrees is to be used at 20C to
measure an air pressure of nominal magnitude of 100
N/m2 relative to ambient. Manometer ‘‘unity’’ oil (S = 1) is
to be used.The specific weight of the oil is 9770 ± 0.5%
N/m2 (95%) at 20ºC , the angle of inclination can be set
to within 1 degree using a bubble level, and the
manometer resolution is 1 mm with a manometer zero
error equal to its interpolation error.
Estimate the uncertainty in indicated differential pressure
at the design stage.
ASSUMPTIONS Temperature and capillary effects in the manometer and
gravity error in the specific weights of the fluids are negligible.The degrees
of freedom in the stated uncertainties are large.
Solution

Find
ud
Solution
Solution
Solution
At a 30-degree inclination and for this pressure, the
uncertainty in pressure is affected almost equally
by the instrument inclination and the deflection
uncertainties.
As the manometer inclination is increased to a
more vertical orientation, that is, toward the U-
tube manometer, inclination uncertainty
becomes less important and is negligible near 90
degrees.
Pressure Reference Instruments- Deadweight
Testers
The deadweight tester makes direct use of the
fundamental definition of pressure as a force per unit
area to create and to determine the pressure within a
sealed chamber.
Deadweight Testers
Sources of error include:
air buoyancy effects, ebuoyancy = - γair / γmasses
uncertainty in the piston and added masses.
variations in local gravity.
uncertainty of effective piston area due to clearance
between piston & cylinder.
thermal expansion of the piston at high temperatures.
elastic deformation of the piston at high pressures.
Pressure Transducers
A pressure transducer is a device that converts a
measured pressure into a mechanical or electrical
signal.
 Pressure Transducers
diaphragm strain-gauge pressure
transducer.
moderately fast response and robust.
can also provide static pressure.
maximizing response by using 4 active
arms (and hence T compensation) of
the Wheatstone bridge.
inductive transducers.
variable inductance is sometimes used
as a form of secondary transduction
with a diaphragm.
fairly rugged & provide good sensitivity.
need AC excitation.
with full as low as 20 Pa & as high as
70 MPa.
Pressure Transducers
o capacitance pressure transducers.
particularly useful for very low pressures, since capacitance sensors
can detect extremely small deflections.
o LVDT with a flexible chamber called capsule.
used in many heavy-duty applications in the process industry.
o piezoelectric pressure transducers.
used for measuring dynamic pressures of up to 30 kHz.
incapable of giving the static pressure.
 Pressure Transducers
Bourdon tube
 a curved metal tube having an elliptical
cross section & mechanically deforms under
pressure.
rugged, relatively cheap, no electrical
output.
cover a wide range of pressures from sub-
atmospheric to over a thousand
atmospheres.
accuracy ranges from ±0.5 to 5% FSO.
quite insensitive to T, temperature
sensitivity ≈
±4% per 100⁰C.
Bellows and C apsule Gauges
a separate spring may be used to
provide restoring force.
they give large displacements  good
for small
differential pressure measurements.
Pressure Transducer Calibration
Calibration is the process of relating the output
of a transducer to the input parameter.
Calibration requires that the input magnitude is
known very accurately
A well known standard
Examined against a secondary source with known
accuracy
Static Calibration
A static calibration of a pressure transducer is usually
accomplished either by direct comparison against any
of the pressure reference instruments
Dynamic Calibration
The rise time and frequency response of a pressure
transducer are found by dynamic calibration