PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

Pressure Gauge
Absolute Pressure - with respect to a vacuum and its unit is psiu Gauge Pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure and its unit is psig Differential Pressure difference in pressure b/w two points Thehydrostatic paradoxstates that the pressure at a given depth in a liquid is independent of the shape of the container or the volume of liquid contained. The pressure value is a result of the depth and density. Pascals lawstates that the pressure applied to an enclosed liquid (or gas) istransmitted to all parts of the fluid and to the walls of the container. Manometers

U-tube manometer Inclined manometer

Well manometer

Gauge sensors are usually devices that change their shape when pressure is applied. These devices include diaphragms, capsules, bellows, and Bourdon tubes. Diaphragm Adiaphragmconsists of a thin layer or film of a material supported on a rigidframe. Pressure can be applied to one side of the film for gauge sensing or pressures can be applied to both sides of the film for differential or absolute pressure sensing.

Capsules Capsulesare two diaphragms joined back to back. Pressure can be applied to the space between the diaphragms forcing them apart to measure gauge pressure.

Bellows Bellowsare similar to capsules, except that the diaphragms instead of being joined directly together are separated by a corrugated tube or tube with convolutions. When pressure is applied to the bellows it elongates by stretching the convolutions and not the end diaphragms.

Differential measurements can be made by connecting two bellows mechanically, opposing each other when pressure is applied to them.

Bourdon Tubes They may be rectangular or oval in cross section, but the operating principle is that the outer edge of the cross section has a larger surface than the inner portion. When pressure is applied, the outer edge has a proportionally larger total force applied because of its larger surface area, and the diameter of the circle increases.

Apiezoelectric pressure gauge - Piezoelectric crystals produce a voltage between their opposite faces when a force or pressure is applied to the crystal. This voltage can be amplified and the device used as a pressure sensor. Capacitive devicesuse the change in capacitance between the sensing diaphragm and a fixed plate to measure pressure.

Vacuum measurements The Pirani gaugeuses methods which are based on the relation of heat conduction and radiation from a heating element to the number of gas molecules per unit volume in the low-pressure region, which determines the pressure. In Ionization gauges,the gas is ionized with a beam of electrons and the current is measured between two electrodes in the gas. The current is proportional to the number of ions per unit volume, which is also proportional to the gas pressure. McLeod gauge compresses the low-pressure gas so that the increased pressure can be measured. The change in volume and pressure can then be used to calculate the original gas pressure, providing that the gas does not condense.