ARIATE, JR J.

THERMODYNAMICS I

BSME-3B AUGUST 22, 2017

BAROMETER MANOMETER BOURDON GAUGE

• BAROMETER:

Barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by
the air surrounding the earth that goes on decreasing away from the earth surface.

Working principle:

Barometric liquid balances the atmospheric pressure against vacuum and pressure head reading is
obtained in the absolute units.

Construction and working:

Barometer has a glass tube closed at one end and opened at the other; the length of the tube must be
greater than 76.2 cm. the tube is first completely filled by mercury and open end is temporarily plugged.
Then the tube is inverted so that plugged end is immersed in a mercury pan. When the plug is removed,
the mercury in the tube drops b y a certain amount, creating a vacuum at the top of the tube and then
reading ‘h’ is noted. The reading ‘h’ is proportional to atmospheric pressure acting on mercury in the pan.
Note that this atmospheric pressure reading is in absolute units.

We have stated that vacuum is present the top of the tube above mercury, but actually there is vapor
pressure of mercury acting on mercury pressure ’P’ kg/cm2 is given by P= 6.66 X 10 -3h

• MANOMETER:
The device used to know about the pressure difference in the pipeline, it is a simple in construction, basic
law of physics are applied for calculation of the pressure drop. It is a glass or metal tube with a 'U' bend
providing with two legs. Manometric fluids as mercury or carbon tetrachloride etc., where the density
should be higher than the fluid which flow through the pipe, manometeric fluid will be filled in the tube for
the value, the two legs are connected to the points on which we are interested to calculate
the differential pressure, when this done the fluid which flow in the pipe or tube will enter into both the
legs, the pressure on the leg will differ showing the deflection of height in the manometric fluid.

Principle:

All manometers work on the effect of hydrostatic pressure exerted by a liquid column. In manometer
unknown pressure is determined by balancing it against some known pressure or vacuum.

Construction and working:

The U-tube manometer consists of glass U-tube partially filled with a suitable liquid like water, mercury
etc. one of the arms or legs of the manometer, is connected to unknown pressure tap to be measured
while other is connected to other pressure tap or it is left open to atmosphere.

When there is difference of pressure between two arms of the manometer, liquid levels in the two arms of
the manometer, liquid levels in the two arms do not match. This level difference in the two arms of the
manometer represents differential pressure (P1-P2). The static balance equation is

P2-P1=h ρ g
h=height difference
ρ=mass density of manometer liquid
If the fluid over manometer liquid has appreciable density, then static balance equation can be written as:

P2-P1= h (ρm - ρl) g

h= height difference
ρm = mass density of manometric liquid
ρl = mass density of fluid over manometric liquid

• BOURDON PRESSURE GAUGE:

Principle:

E.Bourdon introduced Bourdon tube in 1852 as a curved or twisted tube having non circular transverse
section, according to Bourdon theory a tube having internal cross section that is not a perfect circle if bent
or distorted has the property of changing its shape with internal pressure variation, this cause the free
end deflection of the tube which can be taken as the measurement of change in pressures inside it.

Construction:

Bourdon pressure gauges use different types of Bourdon springs as C-shaped Bourdon tube which if
formed by winding the tube to form a segment of a circle having arc- length of about 270 degrees. In
spiral type, number of turns is wound in the shape of a spiral about a common axis. In helix type number
of turns is wound in helix form. In these figures ‘P’ indicates direction of application of pressure, while ‘T’
indicates tip travel for rise in pressure

We study C-shaped Bourdon tube gauge as it consists of a C-shaped Bourdon tube, tip, adjustable link,
segments lever, sector, pinion, spring, and pointer. A C-shaped Bourdon tube is a thin walled tube having
a non circular or nearly elliptical transverse section as one end of the tube soldered or welded to a socket
at the base through which pressure is fed inside the tube while the other end is sealed by a
tip. Adjustable link, segment lever sector or pinion are connected to the tip, that convert linear motion of
the tip into proportional rotary motion which is given to the pointer that moves on the scale calibrated in
terms of pressure. A hair spring is connected to the spindle on which sector is mounted, that provides the
necessary tension for meshing sector and pinion thus eliminating any backlash.

Under range protection is particularly required for gauges having partial ranges (like 20to 50psi).

Bourdon tube material: a bourdon spring can be made of any metal or alloy that exhibits satisfactory
elastic properties. Material used are- brass, phosphor bronze, monel, beryllium, copper, stainless steel
etc.

Pressure range:

C-shaped tube 0 to 1,00,000 psi

Gauge pressure 0 to 12,000 psig
Absolute pressure 0 to 100 psia
Vacuum 0 to 30’’ Hg

Working:
When fluid under pressure to be measured enters the bourdon tube, its cross section tries to become
more and more circular that caused straightening of the tube. Since one end of the tube is fixed
straightening cause the free end to deflect that is called a tip travel. The amount of tip travel for given rise
in pressure is a function of tube length wall thickness cross section geometry and elastic module of the
tube material. This linear tip travel is guided and amplified by adjustable link and segment lever and then
it is given to sector and pinion arrangement. Sector and pinion convert the amplified tip travel into
proportional rotary motion of the pointer connected to the pinion. The pointer defection can be read on
the scale calibrated in terms of pressure.

Helical and spiral types bourdon tubes have many numbers of turns hence the tops movements for give
change in pressure is more than that for single turn C- shaped tube.

Gauge pressure measurement: when unknown pressure is fed inside the bourdon tube and its out side
is exposed to atmosphere, the reading would be in gauge units.

Absolute pressure measurement: when unknown pressure is fed inside the tube and its
outside(instrument case)is evacuated, then reading would be in absolute units.

Vacuum measurement: procedure is similar to gauge pressure measurement. Bourdon vacuum gauge
have poor accuracy.

Calibration:
Bourdon gauge are calibrated using dead weight tester or by comparison calibration.