DEAD WEIGHT TESTER

FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

The Equipment sent to a customer may have some differences from the above picture, mainly depending on
options from their selections and our continuing improvement of products

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

NOTE:

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this manual is accurate;
however no liability is accepted for errors. Should an error be discovered please inform the
company in writing, giving full details. Any experimental results given are for guidance only and
are not guaranteed as exact answers that can be obtained for a given apparatus; due to the
complex variables applicable to most experiments.

The basic principles set out in the following make no claim to completeness. For further
theoretical explanations, refer to the specialist literature.

The selection of experiments makes no claims of completeness but is intended to be used as a

stimulus for your own experiments. The results shown are intended as a guide only.

Depending on the construction of the individual components, experimental skills and

environmental conditions, deviations may occur in the experiments.

Nevertheless, the laws can be clearly demonstrated.

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

Table of Contents
Page
1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 1

2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................... 2

2.1 Unit Assembly ............................................................................................................ 2

3. SUMMARY OF THEORY ............................................................................................ 3

3.1 Formulae ..................................................................................................................... 3

4. GENERAL OPERATING PROCEDURES ................................................................ 4

5. EXPERIMENTS ............................................................................................................. 5
5.1 Objective ..................................................................................................................... 5
5.2 Procedure .................................................................................................................... 5
5.3 Observations ............................................................................................................... 5

APPENDIX A Experimental Data Sheets

APPENDIX B Typical Experimental results
APPENDIX C Sample Calculations

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

1 INTRODUCTION:

The EES® Dead Weight Tester uses known traceable weights to apply pressure to a
fluid for checking the accuracy of readings from a pressure gauge. A dead weight tester 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.

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 Dead Weight Tester

2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The mechanism of the gauge is shown in the figure below. A tube, having a thin wall of
oval cross section, is bent to a circular arc encompassing about 270 degrees. It is rigidly
held at one end, where the pressure is admitted to the tube, and is free to move at the
other end, which is sealed. When pressure is admitted, the tube tends to straighten, and
the movement at the free end operates a mechanical system which moves a pointer round
the graduated scale – the movement of the pointer being proportional to the pressure
applied. The sensitivity of the gauge depends on the material and dimensions of the
Bourden tube; gauges with a very wide selection of pressure ranges are commercially
available.

2.1 Unit Assembly:

3 4

1. Cylinder 4. Weights
2. Piston 5. Pressure gauge
3. Cylinder cap bolt 6. Cylinder oil valve

Diameter of piston = 21mm

Mass of piston = 500 g

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 Dead Weight Tester

3 SUMMARY OF THEORY:
Once the zero point of a manometer has been checked, the weight support is re-inserted
into the cylinder of the pressure gauge unit. The piston is then slowly lowered by
unscrewing the counterbalance cylinder until it is freely suspended. In order to avoid
static friction, set the weight support in gentle rotation. The mass of the support (piston)
is 500 g. taking into account the piston diameter of 18 mm; it is now possible to
determine the increase in pressure according to the following basic formulae.

3.1 Formulae:
The formula on which the design of the apparatus is based basically is expressed
as follows:

F = mg [N]
p = F/A [Pa]

Where;

F = force applied on piston [N]

m = mass [kg]
g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.8 [m/s2]
p = reference pressure [Pa]
A = effective area [m2]

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 Dead Weight Tester

4 GENERAL OPERATING PROCEDURES:

1. Open cylinder cap bolt

2. Fill cylinder with oil
3. Open cylinder oil valve.
4. Close cylinder cap bolt.
5. Close cylinder oil valve.
6. Hydraulic oil will move to piston cylinder
7. Insert piston
8. Apply weight and note down reading

To check the zero point of the manometer, proceed as follows:

1. Press the piston out of the cylinder.

2. Remove the piston and weight support.
3. Adjust the oil level in the open cylinder until the cylinder is filled up.
4. The manometer being tested should now indicate zero, as it is only subject to ambient
pressure.
5. Assemble Bourdon’s pressure gauge with dead weight tester.
6. Apply pressure in terms of weights on table and measure the value of it on pressure
gauge.
7. Repeat the procedure for ascending and descending weights on table and
corresponding.

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 Dead Weight Tester

5 EXPERIMENT:

5.1 Objective:
To find out pressure with a bourdon tube pressure gauge and compare it with
theoretical results.

5.2 Procedures:

1. Operate as mentioned in section 4.

2. Read out pressure value on gauge and compare it with theoretical results.
3. Repeat the experiment by adding weights.

5.3 Observations:

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

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 Dead Weight Tester

APPENDIX A
Experimental Data Sheets

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1
2
3
4
5

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

APPENDIX B
Typical Experimental Results

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1 0.5 4.905 3.46185x10-4 14168.72 14375
2 4.5 44.145 3.46185x10-4 127518.52 131018

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

APPENDIX C
Sample Calculations

EES-FM-1849-18
 Dead Weight Tester

Applied Load Applied Load Area Theoretical Practical

Sr. #
(kg) (N) (m2) Pressure (N/m2) Pressure (N/m2)
1 0.5 4.905 3.46185x10-4 14168.72 14375
2 4.5 44.145 3.46185x10-4 127518.52 131018

Calculations:

P = F/A

A = πd2/4
= π (18x10-3)2 / 4
= 3.46185x10-4 m2

F = 4.5 kg
= 4.5 x 9.81
= 44.145 N

P = F/A
= 44.145 / 3.46185x10-4
= 127518.52 N/m2

Conversion Factor:

1bar = 1x105 Pa

Discussion of Results:

Two different kinds of error may normally expect in a gauge of this type. Firstly, there is a
possibility of hysteresis, friction and backlash which will yield smaller gauge readings when
the pressure is increasing than when it is decreasing.

Secondly, there is error due to the scale being marked off incorrectly. It will be found that
this error increases to a maximum of around 2.5% of the full scale reading. This is acceptably
small for many engineering purposes, although gauges with an error of only 0.5% of the full-
scale reading are commercially obtainable.

EES-FM-1849-18