Calibration of Pressure Gauges

March 2014

1-Introduction & Objective

Introduction A dead weight tester apparatus uses known traceable weights to apply pressure to a fluid for checking the accuracy of readings from a pressure gauge. A dead weight tester (DWT) is a calibration standard method that uses a piston cylinder on which a load is placed to make an equilibrium with an applied pressure underneath the piston. Deadweight testers are so called primary standards which means that the pressure measured by a deadweight tester is defined through other quantities: length, mass and time. Typically deadweight testers are used in calibration laboratories to calibrate pressure transfer standards like electronic pressure measuring devices.

Objective This experiment aims to finding the accuracy of a mechanical pressure gauge,the hystresis error and calibrating the gauge.

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2-Equipment & Procedure

Equipment 1. Pressure gauge (To be calibrated and its here of range 100-1000 psi) 2. Weights of known masses. 3. Dead weight tester rig.

Test rig

The device used in this experiment is a dead weight tester which is the first choice when it comes to calibrating pressure gauges (fig.1).

Fig.1 Dead weight tester

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Procedure Mount the gauge in its place. Read the gauges pointer to know the zero error value of the gauge. Put the first weight on the piston. Adjust the plunger screw so that the weight is not resting on the cylinder. Read the value of the pressure.
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6. Repeat steps from 3 through 5 and putting the weights on top of each other for about 4 or 5 times. 7. Plot a graph with the readings on the ordinate and actual pressure value on the abscissa (this is the loading curve) 8. Remove the top weight and read the value the pointer is pointing at. 9. Repeat the previous step until all the weights are removed. 10. Plot the unloading curve as we did with the loading one.

3- Data & Calculations

Data

Actual Pressure
100 200 300 400

Loading
260 370 460 580 Table.1 Experimental Data

Unloading
250 360 475 580

Hysteresis = Max difference between the loading and unloading readings. Accuracy = {(Average difference between the reading of the gauge and the actual pressure)/1000}%

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4- Graph & conclusions

700 600 Reading (Psi) 500 400 300 200 100 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 Actual Pressure (Psi) 100% acc loading

Fig2. Loading Curve Vs 100% accuracy

Conclusion : Theres a zero error value of +150 psi thats why the curve starts at (0,150) & also a deviation from the actual value of the pressure.
700 600 Reading (Psi) 500 400 300 200 100 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 Actual Pressure (Psi) 100% acc Unloading

Fig.3 Unloading curve vs 100% accuracy

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 Conclusion : Values of pressure while unloading the weights differ from the values measured previously during the loading procedure which is the sign of the gauge having a hysteresis error.

Hysteresis = 15 psi. Accuracy = +1.6875% of full scale reading.

5-Summary
1. The gauge tested has a zero error value of +150 psi. 2. It has an accuracy of +1.6875% of full scale reading. 3. It has a hysteresis error value of 15 psi.

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Table of Contents
List of figures.i List of tables..i 1- Introduction1 2- Equipment & Procedure.2 3- Data & Calculations3 4- Graph & Conclusions.4 5- Summary5

List of Figures

Fig.1 Dead weight tester.2 Fig.2 Loading curve vs 100% accuracy..4 Fig.3 Unloading curve vs 100% accuracy.4

List of Tables
Table.1 Experimental Data3

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