Measurement

Without measurement there is no control. As with any type of

measurement, results need to be expressed in a defined and
clear way to allow everyone to interpret and apply those results
correctly. Accurate measurements and good measurement
practices are essential in industrial automation and process
environments, as they have a direct effect on the success of the
desired outcome.

Pressure, the measure of a force on a specified area, is a

straightforward concept, however, depending on the application,
there are many different ways of interpreting the force
measurement. This white paper will identify the various units of
pressure measurement, while discussing when and why certain
pressure measurements are used in specific applications.
When measuring pressure, there are multiple units of
measurement that are commonly used. Most of these units of
measurement can be used with the international system of units,
such as kilo, Mega, etc. These units are defined as follows:
PSI (Pounds per Square Inch):
This is the unit of measure for one pound of force applied to one
square inch of area.
PSI is a typical unit of pressure in the United States.
BAR: One bar is equal to the atmospheric pressure on the earth
at sea level. BAR was a unit of measure created in Europe and is
still commonly used there.
PA (Pascal): This is the unit of measure for one newton of
pressure per square meter.
InHg (Inches of Mercury): This is the unit of measure for a one
inch circular column of mercury, one inch tall, at gravity and 0C.

InHg is typically used as a unit of measure for barometric

pressure.

Mechanical Gauges used to measure Fluid Pressure:

A Mechanical gauge is best to measure High Fluid Pressure in
hydraulics engineering, The principle on which all Gauges work is
almost same. Following three types of Gauges are more
important from subject point of view.

Bourdons Tube Pressure Gauge:

The Bourdons Tube Pressure Gauge is most suitable to measure
the pressure of fluid, above or below the Atmore Pressure. In its
simplest form, consists of an
elliptical tube, bent into an
arc of a circle.
This bent-up tube is
connected to the fluid at
(inlet of Fluid), the
pressurized fluid flows into
the tube, as a result of the
increased Pressure, tend to
straighten itself.
The tube tends to become
circular as it is encased in
circular cover. With the help of simple Pinion and Sector
arrangement, the elastic deformation of the Burdons tube
rotates the Pointer. This Pointer moves over a Calibrated Scale.
This directly shows the Pressure.
It is used in a wide range of application (inexpensive &
static pressure device).
Available in many sizes (1 to 16 inch) diameter.
High accuracy (0.1% of span).
Pressure ranges up to 10,000 psi.

DIAPHRAGM & Bellows GAUGES

A diaphragm pressure gauge is a device that uses a
diaphragm with a known pressure to measure pressure in a fluid.
It has many different uses, such as monitoring the pressure of a
canister of gas, measuring atmospheric pressure, or recording the
strength of the vacuum in a vacuum pump.
The diaphragm has a flexible membrane with two sides. On one
side is an enclosed capsule containing air or some other fluid at a
predetermined pressure. The other side can be left open to the
air or screwed in to whatever system the gauge is meant to
measure. The diaphragm also attaches to some sort of meter,
which shows how high the pressure is
A fluid in contact with a flexible membrane pushes on that
membrane, bending it. The pressure is a measure of how hard it
pushes. When the outside preference is low, the reference
pressure bends the membrane out. As the outside pressure
increases, it pushes back
on the membrane,
bending it back the other
way. By measuring how
far the membrane
bends, the gauge can
detect the outside
pressure.

A bellows gauge contains an elastic element that is a

convoluted unit that expands and contracts axially with changes
in pressure. The pressure to be measured can be applied to the

outside or inside of the bellows. However, in practice, most

bellows measuring devices have the pressure applied to the
outside of the bellows. Like Bourdon-tube elements, the elastic
elements in bellows gauges are made of
brass, phosphor bronze, stainless steel,
beryllium-copper, or other metal that is
suitable for the intended purpose of the
gauge. Most bellows gauges are springloaded; that is, a spring opposes the bellows,
thus preventing full expansion of the bellows.
Limiting the expansion of the bellows in this
way protects the bellows and prolongs its life.
In a spring-loaded bellows element, the
deflection is the result of the force acting on
the bellows and the opposing force of the
spring. Although some bellows instruments can be designed for
measuring pressures up to 800 psig, their primary application
aboard ship is in the measurement of low pressures or small
pressure differentials. Many differential pressure gauges are of
the bellows type. In some designs, one pressure is applied to the
inside of the bellows, and the other pressure is applied to the
outside. In other designs, a differential pressure reading is
obtained by opposing two bellows in a single case. Bellows
elements are used in various applications where the pressuresensitive device must be powerful enough to operate not only the
indicating pointer but also some type of recording device.

Pros:

- Much faster frequency response than U tubes.

- Accuracy up to 0.5% of full scale.
- Good linearity when the deflection is no larger than the
order of the diaphragm thickness.

Cons:

- More expensive than other pressure sensors.