Experiment # 04 To Calibrate Bourdon gauge using the Dead Weight Tester

Apparatus used:

Dead weight tester, having following main component:

Piston having area = 244.8 x10 -6 m2, Cylinder, Weights, Leveling screws, Spirit level, Drain

Cylinder inlet, Pressure gauge.

Background theory:

Absolute Pressure: The pressure measured with reference to absolute zero is called as absolute pressure
Absolute Pressure= Gauge pressure + Atmospheric pressure

Gauge pressure: The pressure measured with the atmospheric pressure is called as gauge pressure.
Atmospheric pressure: The pressure exerted by the atmosphere above us is known as the atmospheric
pressure.
Its standard values are given below.

14.7 psi
101300 Pa
0.1 Mpa
1 atm = 76 cm of Hg
760 mm of Hg
1.01 bar
34 of water

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 equals the atmospheric pressure on the Earth at sea level. The BAR unit was
created in Europe and is still commonly used there.

PA (Pascal): One Pascal equals one Newton of pressure per square meter.

InHg (inches of mercury): This is the pressure exerted by a one inch circular column of
mercury, one inch tall, at gravity and 0C (32F). InHg are typically used barometric
pressure.

Torr: This is the pressure exerted by a one millimeter tall circle column of mercury. It was
also knows a millimeter of mercury (mm Hg). It is equal to 1/760 atmospheres.
InH2O (inches of water): This is the unit of measure for a one inch circular column of
water, one inch tall, at gravity and 4C (39.2F). It is typically used for a differential
pressure measurement or in low pressure water applications.

A bourdon tube pressure gauge is a device used to measure pressure above or below the atmospheric
pressure. A deadweight pressure gage is the most accurate pressure gauge which is generally used for the
calibration of other pressure gauge apparatus in laboratories.

It consists of a piston and a cylinder of known area, which is connected to a fluid reserve. The pressure on
the fluid and in the pipe is calculated by the formula

P= weight/area of piston
Experiment Procedure #1: (Pressure gage is accurately calibrated and is used for finding unknown
weight)
1. Place piston in cylinder and note reading in pressure gauge. This reading will help in
calculating the piston weight.
2. Place 1st unknown load on piston and note reading in pressure gage. This reading will give the
accumulative weight of both piston and unknown weight.
3. Subtract the piston weight from the accumulative weight and unknown weight will be
determined.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for finding other unknown weights.

Figure showing Bourdon Gauge Apparatus

Experiment Procedure #2: (Weights are known and pressure gage is need to be calibrated)

1. Remove the piston & accurately determine its mass also accurately determine the masses of
the calibration weights.

2. Place piston in cylinder and note reading in pressure gauge. Also calculate pressure in cylinder
mathematically and note the difference.
 3. Place 1st known load on piston and note reading in pressure gage. Also calculate pressure in
cylinder mathematically and note the difference.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for finding other pressure differences and errors.
After Experiment:

1. Remove loads from dead weight tester.

2. Remove oil from dead weight tester.

Figure showing different parts of dead weight tester.

Observation and Calculation:

(For Experiment Procedure # 1)
S.No Piston Area (cm2) Gauge reading (kgf/cm2) Piston Weight (kgf) Weight Calculated (kgf)

(For Experiment Procedure # 2)

S. Piston Mass Piston Area Pressure in Cylinder Gauge reading Absolute Gauge error %age error of
No (kg) (cm2) (kg/cm2) 2
(kg/cm ) Gauge