ME-312 Measurement and Instrumentation

Introduction
Instrumentation and Measurement are two separate disciplines.
Instrumentation deals with devices (used for making measurements)
where as measurement is concerned with theory and practice of
measurement science.
Measurement is the science of comparison. Instrumentation
provides ways and means to carryout this comparison (hence it
enables us to carry out measurements).
Instrumentation should not be confused with tooling. Tooling is
associated with machining, and not used in making measurements
of any kind.
Lecture 1
Measurement
Measurement is the act or the result of a quantitative comparison between
a predefined standard and an unknown magnitude. If the result is to be
meaningful, two requirements must be met in the act of measurement:
(a) the standard must be accurately known and internationally
accepted,
(b) the apparatus and procedure employed for obtaining the
comparison must be provable.
In order to be able to consistently compare quantitatively, certain standards
of length, mass, time, temperature, and electrical quantities have been
established. These standards are internationally accepted and well
preserved under controlled environmental conditions.
(The science of measurement is called Metrology. Horology is the branch
of science that deals with measurement of time.)
Fundamental Methods of Measurement
There are two basic methods of measurement:
(1) direct comparison with the primary or secondary standard,
and
(2) indirect comparison with a standard, through a calibrated
system.
(To save the primary standard from frequent and direct handling,
secondary standards are generally used for direct comparison or
calibration. Both these methods are employed depending on the
requirement.)
Why to make measurements (in engineering)?
Because physical world (as we know it) functions around seven
fundamental quantities (the SI units). Measurement techniques help
us to keep track of all these quantities in our daily life. Measurement
is a way of finding order in an otherwise random world. This order is
a defining characteristic of all engineering systems. As all
engineering systems are man made or designed systems therefore
we can assume that measurement is a fundamental requirement of
engineering design.
(On the other hand measurement is not limited to engineering as all
natural/physical systems can be measured/monitored e.g.
monitoring of weather (meteorology) etc.)
Instrumentation
An instrument is a measurement device. For example, meter bar for
measuring length or galvanometer for detecting/measuring electrical
signals.
The activity of designing, developing, finding, proposing, suggesting,
and/or assembling different measurement devices for carrying out
experimentation, quality control, field work etc. is generally termed
as instrumentation.
(No measurement is possible without a measurement device.)
Systems of Units of Measurement
Imperial: old system that originated in England and includes inch,
foot, yard, mile, pound etc.
Metric: modern system incorporating SI units and prefixes like kilo
with gram and meter etc.
Pakistan converted to metric system during 1960s (the previous
system was imperial, a legacy of the colonial era).
International Standards
International standards are international agreements that ensure quality in
engineering applications.
These agreements may be mandatory or otherwise and help countries in
mutual trade etc. (A nut or bolt of one type produced in USA, Pakistan, or
Japan is the same if it adheres to a certain design or manufacturing
standard.) Every engineering device is manufactured according to an
international standard be it a cable, connector, jumper, valve, solenoid,
duct, bearing, transistor, or computing (control or ICT)
device/instrument/application.
Some international standardizing organizations are as under:
ASTM International, IEEE, IET, ACM,
SAE, ASHRAE, NACA (NASA), SI,
ASME, ISO
Continued
Standardizing institutions ensure quality of international standards in
respective countries:
UK National Physical Laboratory, London
Pakistan National Physical and Standards Laboratory,
Islamabad (a part of PCSIR)
Standardization is not limited to engineering. It can be witnessed in
education, business, commerce, ICT, banking, medicine, law (tax law,
corporate law), and in almost each and every sphere of modern/civilized life.
It leads to quality, simplification, and fairness in all activities/processes
observed or associated with every day life.
Historical Note
Modern engineering practices emerged as an outcome of industrial
revolution. With spread of industry, quality control and conforming to one
standard became issues of prime importance. If every
producer/manufacturer had his own standard, mass production, export, and
spread of technology would have become difficult.
Adopting one fine (or optimized) way of fabricating a certain basic product
or any of its features (i.e. threads) can lead to simplification of tools,
manufacturing equipment, inventory management, quality control, and cost
minimization. Standardization emerged as a need as industries (and their
spread and effect) became trans-regional and global.
As earlier societies/cultures (before industrial revolution) were limited to
certain regions with little or no trans-regional interaction/trade, any local
standards would have been sufficient but as population expanded, modes of
transportation improved, and distant societies/nations/states came into
contact with each other, a natural progression towards mutually agreed
standards occurred in order to avoid conflicts of business and trade. This
progression finally culminated in acceptance of SI standards by almost all
countries during 1960s.
Continued
Instrumentation predates metrology as man has been making tools since
the dawn of civilization.
A large part of modern knowledge/expertise in measurement and
instrumentation has emerged since the later half of the 19
th
century.
Major contributors towards the development of instrumentation and
measurement techniques/devices are the British, French, and Swiss
scientists and engineers.
What is telemetry?
Telemetry is the transmission of measurement data over distances.
The quantity measured and the measuring device (instrument) are
present at the same place but the measurement values (data) are
communicated (through radio-link or any other mode of
communication) to a control or receiving center that is located
elsewhere. Most common example is data received from
spacecrafts or aircrafts in control stations/towers.
References/Further Reading
K. J. Hume, A History of Engineering Metrology, Mechanical Engineering
Publications, London, 1980.
R. S. Sirohi, H. C. Radhakrishna, Mechanical Measurements, John Wiley,
New Delhi, 1980.