College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Instrumentation and Measurement

(MEng 4211)
By: Yobsan. A (MSc), Lecturer in
Mechnical Department, Bonga University

December 18, 2023 1

Together We Can!
 Chapter -1
Introduction

Basic Concept of Instrumentation and Measurement

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 PRESENTATION OUT LINE

• Definition of Instrumentation and Measurement

• Measurement System
• Function of Instrumentals and Measurement Systems
• Objectives of Instrumentation
• Characteristic of Instruments
– Static Characteristic and
– Dynamic Characteristic
• Methods of Measurement
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• Application of Instrumentation and Measurement
Instruments are a device used to measure and control process
variables such as: temperature, flow, level, pressure, quality, etc.
Instrumentation is the science of the measurement and control
of process variables within a production or manufacturing area
or the whole process of preparing to collect data.

Instrumentation is defined as the art and science of measurement

and control of process variables within a production or
manufacturing area.

Instruments – are used to determine the present value of a

quantity under observation during the measurement system.
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• Measurement - the process of determining the quantity of a variable by
means of appropriate measuring instruments.
• Measurement – The process of determining the amount, degree, capacity
by comparison (direct or indirect) with the accepted standards of the
system units being used.
• A measurement is an act of assigning a specific value to a physical
variable that physical variable is the measured variable.
• A measurement system is a tool used for quantifying the measured
variable. As such, a measurement system is used to extend the abilities of
the human senses that, while they can detect and recognize different
degrees of roughness, length, sound, color, and smell, are limited and
relative; they are not very adept at assigning specific values to sensed
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• A system is composed of components that work together to
accomplish a specific objective. It consists of obtaining a
quantitative comparison between a predefined standard and a
measurand or unknown magnitude. The science of measurement
is known as metrology.
• Measurement is done to know whether the component which
has been manufactured is as per the requirements or not.
Measurements will be of mainly- length, mass, time, angle,
temperature, squareness, roundness, roughness, etc.
• For measuring any quantity there must be some unit to measure
and express.
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December 18, 2023 7
Input
– Input to the measurement system is the parameter or quantity under
observation which is required to be measured.
– Example:- temperature, pressure, force or any other physical quantity

Sensing Element
– The sensing element senses or detects the physical parameter or input under
observation and converts it into a suitable.
– Example:- RTD for temperature, Piezoelectric sensor for pressure

Signal Conditioner
• Signal conditioner converts the output of sensing element into a form
which is suitable to drive the display element.
• Example:- Operational Amplifiers, Filters and AC/DC Bridges etc.
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Display Element

– The display element provides a visual or graphic or 3D

representation of the input physical parameter under observation

as output.

– Example:- Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO), Digital Storage

Oscilloscope (DSO), LCD Display, Pointer- scale indicator etc.

Power Supply

– It is a regulated power supply unit which provide the required

excitation to the sensor, signal conditioner and display element

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Function of Instrumentals and Measurement Systems

What are the basic functions applications of instrumentation systems?

The measurement systems and the instruments may be classified
based upon the functions they perform.

There are four main functions performed by them:

– Indicating,

– Signal processing,

– Recording and

– Control.

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 Objectives of Instrumentation

The major objective of instrumentation are:-

• To measure and control the field parameters

• To increase safety and efficiency of the process

• To achieve good quality
• To achieve auto machine and automatic control of process
by reducing human resource
• To maintain the operation of the plan within the design
exportations and to achieve good quantity product
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 Characteristic of Instruments

• Two basic characteristic of an instrument is essential

for selecting the most suitable instrument for specific
measuring jobs:
1. Static characteristic
2. Dynamic characteristic

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Static characteristic is an instrument which are used to
measure an unvarying process condition.
Static characteristics the performance criteria for the
measurement of quantities that remain constant does not
vary with time, or vary only quite slowly.
Dynamic characteristic is concerned with the measurement
of quantities that vary with time.
• In dynamic characteristics the relationship between the
system input and output when the measured quantity
(measurand)
December 18, 2023 is varying rapidly. 13
 Types of Static Characteristics
These are some of the standards characteristics of static instruments
are:
1. Sensitivity 13. Resolution
2. Magnification 14. Dead zone
3. Scale interval 15. Bias
4. Readability
5. Calibration
6. Repeatability
7. Discrimination
8. Precision
9. Accuracy
10. Reproducibility
11. Hysteresis
12. Linearity 14
Sensitivity is defined as the displacement of indicating device
of the instrument with respect to the measured quantity.
Mathematically Sensitivity is equal to Scale Spacing/Scale
Division.
Magnification means the increase of the magnitude of the out
put signal of the measuring devices many times to make the
out put reading more visible or readable.
Generally greater the magnification smaller is the range of the
instrument.
Scale Interval
Due to this factor, we can say that the device is accurate to
show the value of the measured quantity.

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Readability means how we can take the measurement quite
easily, this is also an important factor of the instrument.
Calibration of any instrument is necessary to measure the
quantity in terms of the standard unit.
• It is the pre-measurement process, where we need to
calibrate the particular device with the standard value,
however, generally this is carried out by the manufacturer
of that particular instrument so that the instrument should
give the zero output for zero input and similarly the
maximum output for the maximum input nearly in a linear
scale (Y= mx).
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Repeatability means the measuring device can show the same
value or nearly about the same value for the same quantity
when the measurements are carried out by the same observer,
same instrument, same environmental condition, same
method, and same interval of time.
• Precision is also associated with this.

Discrimination is the ability of any measuring device to show

very smaller changes in the measured quantity.

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Precision is generally the repeatability of the measuring
process that means when we kept constant the other variable
factor if we repeat the measurement process the instrument
should give us nearly about the same result continuously.
• Precision- A measure of consistency or repeatability of
measurements, i.e. successive readings do not differ or the
consistency of the instrument output for a given value of
input.
• A very precise reading though is not perfectly an accurate
reading.
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The precision of an instrument indicates its ability to reproduce
a certain reading with a given accuracy. or in other words, it is
the degree of agreement between repeated result.
Precision refers to the repeatability of measuring process i.e.,
The closeness with which the measurement of the same physical
quantity agrees with is another.

‫݅ܿ݁ݎ ݅ݏ‬ ‫ ݊ݔ‬−‫ݔ‬ത

‫݊݋‬ =1 −
‫ݔ‬ത
Xn = Measured value
‫ݔ‬ത= Average value

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• Measurements typically contain some combination of
random and systematic errors.

• Precision is an indication of the level of random error.

• Accuracy is an indication of the level of systematic

error.

• Accuracy and precision are typically qualitative terms.

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Accuracy is when the measured value is very much closer than
the true value.
Accuracy – The degree of exactness (closeness) of a
measurement compared to the expected (desired) value.
Accuracy is the closeness with which the readings of an
instrument approach the true values of the quantities measured.
Reproducibility is a degree of closeness within a period.
Hysteresis can be expressed as the difference between the
indication of a measuring device when the value of the measured
quantity is reached by increasing or decreasing that quantity.
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Linearity is the ratio of maximum deviation from the linear
characteristic.
Resolution – The smallest change in a measured variable to which
instruments will response. Also known as ‘Threshold’. Resolution is
also called as discrimination. and defined as the smallest increment of
the input signal that a measuring system is capable of displaying.
Expected Value – The design value that is, “most probable value” that
calculations indicate one should expect to measure.
Range – A minimum and maximum range for instrument to operate
and it is stated by the manufacturer of the instrument. It represents the
least value and largest value that can be measured using that instrument
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Dead Zone/band – The total range of possible values for
instrument will not give a reading even there is changes in
measured parameter.
Bias – A constant error that occur to instrument when the
pointer not starting from zero scale.
• It is the characteristic of a measuring instrument to give
indications of the value of a measured quantity whose
average differs from the true value of that quantity.

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Response Time: It is the time which elapses after a sudden change
in the measured quantity until the instrument gives an indication
differing from the true value by an amount less than a given
permissible error.
Inaccuracy It is the total error of a measure or measuring
instrument under specified conditions of use and including bias and
repeatability errors. Inaccuracy is specified by two limiting values
obtained by adding and subtracting to the bias errors the limiting
value of the repeatability errors. If the known systematic errors are
corrected, the remaining inaccuracy in due to the random errors and
the residual systematic error that also have a random character. This
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 Dynamic Characteristics of Instruments

The dynamic behavior of an instrument is determined by subjecting its

primary element to some known and predetermined variation in measured

quantity. Three most common variations are:

• Step Change: In which the primary element is subjected to an

instantaneous and finite change in measured variable.

• Linear Change: In which the primary element is” following” a

measured variable, changing linearly with time.

• Sinusoidal Change: In which the primary element follows a Measured

variable, the magnitude of which changes in accordance with a

sinusoidal
December 18, 2023 function of constant amplitude. 25
 Types of Dynamic Characteristic
These are some of the standards characteristics of dynamic
instruments.
• Responses Time
• Dynamic Error
• Lag
• Step Response
• Ramp Response
• Standard Signals
• Dynamic Error
• Overshoot
• Fidelity
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Response Time can be defined as the time which passes
after a sudden change in the measured quantity until the
device gives us different reading from the true value.
Dynamic Error is a difference between the true value
changing with time to the actual value shown by the
instruments over time. It is also called a measurement error.
Lag:- it is time to respond to that particular instrument when
we change.
• Lags are two types
– Retardation Lag
• That means when we change the measured quantity the device also
changes its value in a faster way.
– Time delay lag
• Time delay lag means the device changes its value after some time even
when the measured quantity changes.
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Step Response
when the measuring device measures one steady step value
to another steady step value, the in-between response time
between these two values is called Step Response.

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Ramp Response
• In ramp response, the value of response time in-between
two responses changes very slowly with time.

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Standard Signals
For study purposes, the dynamic characteristic of signal there is
some signal equations is developed which are as follows.
• Ramp input

• Step input

• Parabolic input

• Impulse input

Dynamic Error: is the difference between the true value of a

quantity changing with time and the value indicated by the
instrument if no static error is assumed.
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Overshoot
In any instrument, the moving indicator also has some
mass due to having mass it has some inertia too, so when
we give the input to the instrument it deflects from its zero
position to some sort of reading position however due to
the inertia initially the pointer moves beyond of the
reading. This is called overshoot.
However, the galvanometer-based device have some
minimal overshoot.
Fidelity means the system can reproduce the output in the
same as the input.
Fidelity: is the degree to which an instrument indicates the
changes in measured variable without dynamic error.

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 Methods of Measurement

1. Direct Measurement System: the value of the physical

parameter is determined by comparing it directly with
different standards.
With direct measurements, measuring instruments such as
Vernier calipers, micrometers, and coordinate measuring
machines are used to measure the dimensions of the target
directly.
Direct measurement is performed using the scale of the
measuring instrument.
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2. Indirect Measurement System: the value of the physical parameter
is more generally determined by indirectly comparison with the
secondary standard through calibration. When there is not an easy direct
method of measuring a liquid, gas or solid within the system equipment
operators must use an indirect method.
The indirect method of level measurement involves converting readouts
and data of a known quantity, such as pressure ratio to the volume.
This is a situation where we can't measure this distance using a ruler or
some other measurement device. In other words, it can't measure
directly. When situations like this arise, to use what is called indirect
measurement
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3. Primary Measurement System: The physical parameter is
determined by comparing it directly with reference standard the
required information is obtained to sense of side and touch.
4. Secondary Measurement System: Indirectly measurement
involved one transmission or convert the first direct result by
using instrumental device.
5. Tertiary Measurement System: Indirect measurement
involved two convergent or convert the primary result into
secondary then again also further convert the secondary results to
tertiary in this case may be used more than one instrumental
device.
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6. Contact Measurement System: The sensing element of
measuring device as a contact with medium whose
characteristics are being measured.
Contact measurement devices constitute the majority of what
is traditionally used for dimensional metrology.
Typical contact measurement tools includes coordinate
measuring machines, calipers, micrometers, depth
micrometers, gage pins, gage blocks, height gages, surface
plates, etc
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7. Non-Contact Measurement System: the sense doesn’t
communicate physically with the medium.
Non-contact inspection systems include laser micrometers, vision
measuring machines, profile projectors and microscopes.
All these instruments allow measuring small work pieces without
touching them.
Some sensors are non-contact. This means that the sensor is using a
technology that uses non-touching parts.
This term non-contact or non-contacting usually refers to a position
sensor that can measure movement or displacement in a rotary or
linear fashion.
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 Standards

A standard is a physical representation of a unit of

measurement.
The term ‘standard’ is applied to a piece of equipment
having a known measure of physical quantity.

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 Types of Standards

 International Standards (defined based on

international agreement )
 Primary Standards (maintained by national
standards laboratories)
 Secondary Standards ( used by industrial
measurement laboratories)
 Working Standards ( used in general laboratory)
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 Application of Instrumentation and Measurement
• What are the applications of measuring instruments in
daily life?
• It helps us to measure temperature, pressure, weight, etc.
• The use of measuring instruments in daily life is
increasing day by day due to the growing number of
industries worldwide and its application in various fields
like Engineering and Construction.
• Its uses are very common in the industry. -PH Meter-A pH
meter is an instrument used to measure the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution.
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• Home
– Thermometer
– Barometer
– Watch
• Road vehicles
– Speedometer
– Fuel gauge
• Industry
– Automation
– Process control
– Boiler control

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THANK YOU‼‼‼

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