01 Pressure Measurement

(Water Resources I)

Dave Morgan

Prepared using Lyx, and the Beamer class in LATEX 2 ,

on September 12, 2007

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Readings for Pressure Measurement

Suggested readings for this topic are from Applied Fluid Mechanics
by Mott:
Read sections:
3.3 - 3.9
Study Example Problems: 3.1 - 3.13

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

Pressure measurements are made relative to some reference

pressure, usually atmospheric (a.k.a. ambient) pressure

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

Pressure measurements are made relative to some reference

pressure, usually atmospheric (a.k.a. ambient) pressure

Pressure relative to the atmosphere is called gauge pressure

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

Pressure measurements are made relative to some reference

pressure, usually atmospheric (a.k.a. ambient) pressure

Pressure relative to the atmosphere is called gauge pressure

Pressure relative to a perfect vacuum is called absolute

pressure

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

Pressure measurements are made relative to some reference

pressure, usually atmospheric (a.k.a. ambient) pressure

Pressure relative to the atmosphere is called gauge pressure

Pressure relative to a perfect vacuum is called absolute

pressure

Absolute, atmospheric and gauge pressures are related by the

following expression:
pabs = patm + pgauge

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

When using a tyre-gauge to check the pressure in a car or a

bike tyre, the tyre-gauge reports gauge pressure; this is the
amount of pressure in the tyre in excess of the pressure of the
atmosphere

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

When using a tyre-gauge to check the pressure in a car or a

bike tyre, the tyre-gauge reports gauge pressure; this is the
amount of pressure in the tyre in excess of the pressure of the
atmosphere

If a tyre-gauge reports a pressure of 275 kPa and the

atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa(abs), then the absolute
pressure inside the tyre is 376.3 kPa

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Absolute and Gauge Pressure

When using a tyre-gauge to check the pressure in a car or a

bike tyre, the tyre-gauge reports gauge pressure; this is the
amount of pressure in the tyre in excess of the pressure of the
atmosphere

If a tyre-gauge reports a pressure of 275 kPa and the

atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa(abs), then the absolute
pressure inside the tyre is 376.3 kPa

Normal pressures near the earth's surface are in the range of

95 kPa(abs) to 105 kPa(abs); the average at sea-level is about
101.3 kPa
Atmospheric pressure changes with the weather; at 10:00 pm
on Tuesday 28th August, 2007, atmospheric pressure at
Calgary International Airport was reported by Environment
Canada to be 102.4 kPa
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Pressure and Elevation

Pressure decreases with increased elevation in the atmosphere;

the atmospheric pressure in Quito (2850 m above sea-level) is
(usually) less than than the atmospheric pressure in Death
Valley (86 m below sea-level). Pressure usually decreases
about 3.4 kPa for every increase in elevation of 300 m.

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Pressure and Elevation

Pressure decreases with increased elevation in the atmosphere;

the atmospheric pressure in Quito (2850 m above sea-level) is
(usually) less than than the atmospheric pressure in Death
Valley (86 m below sea-level). Pressure usually decreases
about 3.4 kPa for every increase in elevation of 300 m.

Weather stations do not normally display this dierence due to

elevation; the stations adjust the pressure for elevation. Thus,
101.3 kPa would be the usual reported pressure in both Quito
and Death Valley; this enables us to know something about
the weather conditions in a particular location without
knowing the elevation and making calculations.

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Pressure and Elevation

Pressure increases with increased depth in a uid. The

pressure at the bottom of the deep end in a swimming pool is
noticeably greater than just below the surface.

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Pressure and Elevation

Pressure increases with increased depth in a uid. The

pressure at the bottom of the deep end in a swimming pool is
noticeably greater than just below the surface.

In uid mechanics, elevation refers to the vertical distance

from some reference point to a point of interest (Death Valley
is 86 m below sea-level). Elevation is usually denoted by z.

A dierence in elevation between two points is usually denoted

by h.

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Pressure and Elevation

The change in pressure in a homogeneous liquid at rest due to

change in elevation is given by:
p = h

where

p = change in pressure
= specic weight of liquid
h = change in elevation

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Pressure and Elevation

The change in pressure in a homogeneous liquid at rest due to

change in elevation is given by:
p = h

where

p = change in pressure
= specic weight of liquid
h = change in elevation

Note:
1 This equation does not apply to gases
2 Points at the same elevation (same horizontal level) have the
same pressure (see Pascal's Paradox)
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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
Consider a vertical cylinder of liquid
within a body of liquid.
A Let the cylinder have height h and
cross-sectional area A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
Consider a vertical cylinder of liquid
p1 p1 within a body of liquid.
A Let the cylinder have height h and
cross-sectional area A
The pressure, p1 , on the top
surface of the cylinder is uniform
h since the surface is horizontal

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
Consider a vertical cylinder of liquid
within a body of liquid.
p1 A
A Let the cylinder have height h and
cross-sectional area A
The pressure, p1 , on the top
surface of the cylinder is uniform
h since the surface is horizontal
The force exerted on the top
surface is Fdown = p1 A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
Consider a vertical cylinder of liquid
within a body of liquid.
p1 A
A Let the cylinder have height h and
cross-sectional area A
The pressure, p1 , on the top
surface of the cylinder is uniform
h since the surface is horizontal
The force exerted on the top
surface is Fdown = p1 A
Similarly the pressure, p2 , on the
p2 p2 bottom surface of the cylinder is
uniform...

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
Consider a vertical cylinder of liquid
within a body of liquid.
p1 A
A Let the cylinder have height h and
cross-sectional area A
The pressure, p1 , on the top
surface of the cylinder is uniform
h since the surface is horizontal
The force exerted on the top
surface is Fdown = p1 A
Similarly the pressure, p2 , on the
bottom surface of the cylinder is
p2 A uniform...
...and Fup = p2 A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
The other force to be considered is
p1 A the weight, W , of the cylinder
A

W h

p2 A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
The other force to be considered is
p1 A the weight, W , of the cylinder
A
Express W as W = V

V h

p2 A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
The other force to be considered is
p1 A the weight, W , of the cylinder
A
Express W as W = V
The cylinder is in equilibrium so
Fy = p2 A V p1 A = 0
V h

p2 A

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p = h Derivation

Derivation:
The other force to be considered is
p1 A the weight, W , of the cylinder
A
Express W as W = V
The cylinder is in equilibrium so
Fy = p2 A V p1 A = 0
V h
V = Ah so

p2 A Ah p1 A = 0
p2 h p1 = 0
p2 A p2 p1 = h
p = h

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Pascal's Paradox

Pascal's Paradox
All three vessels contain the same liquid. The pressure at the
bottom of each vessel is the same because pressure is due only to
the depth of liquid.

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Water Tower

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Water Tower

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Pressure Measurement

Example
A tank, open to the atmosphere in the centre, contains medium
fuel oil. Atmospheric pressure is 102.1 kPa. Calculate the gauge
pressure and the absolute pressure for locations A, B, C, D and E.

C
950 mm
A
300 mm
B
1375 mm

D
625 mm
E

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Pressure Measurement (Example)

C Solution
950 mm
A
300 mm Pressure at B:
B
B is open to the atmosphere so PB = 0
1375 mm

D
and PB (abs ) = P(atm) = 102.1 kPa
625 mm
E

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Pressure Measurement (Example)

Solution
Pressure at A:
P A = PB p
C = 0 h
950 mm
A = (8.89 kN/m3 )(0.30 m)
300 mm
B = 2.667 kN/m2
1375 mm
= 2.67 kPa
D
625 mm
E
P A(abs ) = Patm + PA(gauge )
= 102.1 kPa 2.667 kPa
= 99.4 kPa

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Pressure Measurement (Example)

Solution
Pressure at C:
PC = PB p
C = 0 h
950 mm
A = (8.89 kN/m3 )(0.950 m)
300 mm
B = 8.4455 kN/m2
1375 mm
= 8.45 kPa
D
625 mm
E
P C (abs ) = Patm + PC (gauge )
= 102.1 kPa 8.4455 kPa
= 93.7 kPa

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Pressure Measurement (Example)

Solution
Pressure at D:
P D = PB + p
C = 0+ h
950 mm
A = (8.89 kN/m3 )(1.375 m)
300 mm
B = 12.224 kN/m2
1375 mm

D
= 12.2 kPa
625 mm
E
P D (abs ) = Patm + PD (gauge )
= 102.1 kPa + 12.224 kPa
= 114.0 kPa

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Pressure Measurement (Example)

Solution
Pressure at E:
P E = PB + p
C = 0+ h
950 mm
A = (8.89 kN/m3 )(2.0 m)
300 mm
B = 17.78 kN/m2
1375 mm

D
= 17.8 kPa
625 mm
E
P E (abs ) = Patm + PD (gauge )
= 102.1 kPa + 17.78 kPa
= 120.0 kPa

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Manometers

A manometer is a pressure-measuring instrument

It uses the height of a liquid column, h, to measure the
pressure dierence between two locations
This manometer is open to the atmosphere at one end; it is
used to measure the dierence in pressure between A and the
atmosphere (that is, it measures gauge pressure)
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Manometer Example

Example
Determine the pressure at A given that the temperature of the
water is 25 C.

A
47 mm
3

Water
105 mm

1 2

Kerosene,
sg = 0.823

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Manometer Example

Solution
P3 = 0
P2 = P3 + h
A
47 mm = 0 + (0.823)(9.81 kN/m3 )(0.105 m)
3

Water
= 0.84773 kPa
105 mm
P1 = 0.84773 kPa
1 2
PA = P1 h
= 0.84773 kPa (9.78)(0.152) kPa
Kerosene,
sg = 0.823 = 0.63883 kPa
PA = 0.639 kPa

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Manometer Example

Note
There is not much dierence in pressure for a dierence in levels of
0.105 m. For this reason, a gauge uid with a higher specic
gravity, such as mercury, is usually used to measure larger pressure
dierences.

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Manometers

A
B

The dierential manometer illustrated is used to measure

the dierence in pressure between A and B

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Dierential Manometer Example

Example
Determine the pressure dierence between A and B

A
105 mm
90 mm
B
1
Water
150 mm Oil,
2 3 sg = 0.90

Mercury,
sg = 13.54

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Dierential Manometer Example

Solution
P1 = PA + h
3
= PA + (9.81 kN/m )(0.195 m)

= PA +1.913 kPa)
3
P2 = P1 +(13.54)(9.81 kN/m )(0.15 m)
A
105 mm
B = PA +(1.913 + 19.924) kPa
90 mm
1
Water = PA +21.837 kPa
150 mm Oil,
2 3 sg = 0.90 P3 = PA +21.837 kPa
3
PB = P3 (0.90)(9.81 kN/m )(0.240 m)
Mercury,
sg = 13.54 = PA +21.837 kPa 2.119 kPa

p = 19.718 kPa

The dierence in pressure between A and B

is 19.7 kPa
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