Pressure Measurement

Pressure Measurement
By Steve Mackay –
Dean of Engineering: Engineering Institute of
Technology
www.idc-online.com/slideshare Technology Training that Works
EIT Micro-Course Series
• Every two weeks we present a 35 to
45 minute interactive course
• Practical, useful with Q & A

throughout
• PID loop Tuning / Arc Flash Protection,

Functional Safety, Troubleshooting
conveyors presented so far
• Upcoming:
– Electrical Troubleshooting and
much, much more…..
• Go to:
http://www.idc-online.com/slideshare
• You get the recording and slides
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Topics
• Principles
• Pressure Sources
• Pressure Transducers - Mechanical
• Pressure Transducers - Electrical
• Installation
• Impact on overall loop
• Selection Tables
• The Future
www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works
www.idc-online.com/slideshare
Principles
• Pressure = Force per unit area
• Units of psi, mm Hg and kPa
• Absolute Pressure referenced to a vacuum
• Gauge Pressure referred to one standard atmosphere
• Differential Pressure compares two different pressures

Pressure Sources
• Static Pressure
Due to weight of the molecules “pressing down”
• Dynamic Pressure
Relative movement when a body is moving through air

Static Pressure

Dynamic Pressure
Pressure Variations

Total Pressure
• Total Pressure = Static Pressure + Dynamic Pressure

Pressure Transducers - Mechanical
•Bourdon Tube
•Helix and spiral tubes
•Spring and Bellows
•Diaphragm
•Manometer
•Single and Double Inverted Bell

C-Bourdon Tube
• Bent tube will change its shape when exposed to
variations in internal or external pressure
• Orientation dependent for correct results
• Vertical mounting
• Wide Operating range

C-Bourdon
• Advantages Disadvantages
– Inexpensive – Primarily intended for
– Wide Operating Range indication only
– Fast response – Non-linear transducer
– Good sensitivity – Hysteresis on cycling
– Direct Pressure – Sensitive to temperature
measurement variations
– Limited life when subject
to shock and vibration

C-Bourdon Pressure Element
Limitations
•Use air if calibrated
for air
•Use in liquid if
calibrated for liquid
•Bleed air from the
liquid lines
•Limited where there
is input shock
•If for Oxygen, device
cannot be calibrated
for oil

Helix and Spiral Tubes
• With one end sealed, pressure causes the

tube to straighten out
• Spiral suitable up to 28000 kPa
• Helical suitable up to 500000 kPa

Helix and Spiral Tubes
•Spiral Bourdon Element
•Helix Bourdon Element

Spiral/Helix tubes
Increased accuracy and sensitivity
•Advantages
Higher overrange protection
•Disadvantages Very Expensive

Spring and Bellows
• Expandable element
• Free end responds to pressure
• Spring used to oppose force
• Linkage connects end to pointer for indication
• Primarily for ON / OFF control
• Provides clean contacts for electrical circuits
• Responds to pneumatic or hydraulic pressure
changes

Spring and Bellows Switch

Technical Terms

Spring and Bellows Gauge

Diaphragm, Bellows or Piston?
• Pressure applied to actuator

- Diaphragm, bellows or piston type
• Piston used for hydraulic fluids
at high pressure
• Not used for air or water as
accuracy is limited

Refrigeration Applications
• Pulsation generated by reciprocating refrigeration

compressors
• Require additional pulsation dampening

Refrigeration Applications
Advantages Disadvantages
• Simple construction • Sensitive to temperature

• Easily maintained variations
• Inexpensive • Work hardening of bellows
• Hysteresis
• Poor overrange protection
Application Limitations
• Range into vacuum required where settings approach 0 psi
• Surges of pressure can occur prior to steady state condition
• Bellows and fittings are specially prepared for oxygen and
nitrous oxide
Diaphragm
• Sensor measurement dependent on deflection
of diaphragm
• Flexible disc
• Flat or with concentric corrugations
• Sheet metal with high tolerance dimensions

Simple Corrugated Diaphragm
Diaphragm Sensors
• Two main types :

– Motion
balanced
– Force
balanced

Advantages - Diaphragm
• Provide isolation from process fluid

• Good for low pressure
• Inexpensive
• Wide range
• Reliable and proven
• Used to measure gauge, atmospheric and
differential pressure

Manometer
• Simplest form is U-shaped, liquid filled tube
• Reference and measured pressure applied to

ends of tube
• Difference in pressure causes difference in

liquid level between sides

Simplest Form of Manometer
Atmospheric Reference
•For water
1.0 Pa (Pascal) = 0.9807
mmH2O
•For mercury
1.0 Pa (Pascal)
= 133.3 mmHg

Typical Applications
• Mainly spot checks or calibration

– Modern calibration using electronic meters
• Low range measurements

– Higher measurements require mercury
- toxic, therefore hazardous

Manometer
Simple operation and Construction
Advantages
Inexpensive
Higher pressure range requires mercury
Disadvantages Range (water)
Readings are localised
Size limits operation to low range

Application Limitations
Difficult to integrate into
continuous control system
Single and Double Inverted Bell
• Measures pressure difference between sides of bell
shaped compartment
• The bell instrument is used where very low

pressures are to be measured, typically 0 -
250 Pa
•To reference to surrounding conditions
Gauge pressure measured
Lower compartment vented to

outside

Inverted Bell d/p Detector

Pressure Transducers and
Elements - Electrical
• Strain gauge
• Vibrating wire
• Piezoelectric
• Capacitance
• Linear Variable
Differential Transformer
• Optical

Strain Gauges
• Metal wire or semiconductor chip

• Change in resistance as metal is
deformed by pressure
• Temperature sensitive
– Temperature compensation required
– Often use Wheatstone bridge

Wheatstone Circuit for Strain
Gauges

Typical Application
Applied to diaphragm
• Force Through silicone fill fluid
To polysilicon sensor
• Reference side exposed to atmospheric pressure for

gauge transmitters

Strain Gauges
• Wide range, 7.5kPa to 1400MPa.
• Inaccuracy of 0.1%
• Small in size
Advantages • Stable devices with fast response
• Most have no moving parts
• Good overrange capability
• Unstable due to bonding material

Disadvantages • Thermoelastic strain causes
hysteresis
Vibrating Wire
• Electronic oscillator circuit causes natural

frequency oscillation of wire
• Wire under tension in diaphragm
• Pressure changes causes changes in

natural frequency

Vibrating Wire
Advantages • Good accuracy and repeatability
• Stable
• Low hysteresis
• High resolution
• Absolute, gauge or differential
measurement
Disadvantages • Temperature sensitive

• Affected by shock and vibration
• Non-linear
• Physically large

Piezoelectric
• Crystals elastically deformed when force
applied
• Measure rate of change of deformation
• Electrical output proportional to applied

acceleration

Piezoelectric
• Accuracy 0.075%
• Very high pressure
measurement, up to 70MPa.
• Small size
• Advantages • Robust
• Fast response, < 1 nanosecond
• Self-generated signal
• Dynamic sensing only

•Disadvantages • Temperature sensitive

Cross Section of the Rosemount
d-CellTM Sensor

Capacitance
• Diaphragm movement causes capacitance
change
• Sensor energised by a high frequency electrical

oscillator
• Relative capacitance measured by bridge

circuit
Capacitance Measurement

Capacitance
• Inaccuracy 0.01 to 0.2%
• Range of 80Pa to 35MPa.
Advantages • Linearity
• Fast response
• Stray capacitance problems
Disadvantages • Vibration
• Limited overpressure
capability
• Cost
Linear Variable Differential
Transformer
• Movement of high permeability material within
transformer coils
• Pressure transferred via diaphragm, bellows or

bourdon tube
• Mechanical
Disadvantages wear
• Vibration
Linear Variable Differential
Transformer

Optical
• Opaque vane mounted to the diaphragm
• Vane moves in front of infrared beam
• Received light indicates position of the

diaphragm

Optical Pressure Sensor

Optical
• Temperature corrected
Advantages • Good repeatability
• Negligible hysteresis
Disadvantages • Expensive

Installation considerations
• Location of Connections
• Isolation Valves
• Impulse Tubing
• Test and Drain Valves
• Construction
• Temperature
• Remote Diaphragm Seals
• Precautions with Remote Diaphragm Seals
• Process Flanges
• Additional Hardware

Location of Process Connections
• Top of process line for gases
• Side of lines for other fluids
Isolation
Valves
Between process fluid and measuring
equipment if device is to be taken out

Use of Impulse tubing
Impulse piping
• Short as possible
• Self draining by sloping lines
towards the process
Test and Drain Valves
• Blowdown valve needed for

toxic or corrosive fluid

Sensor Construction
Mechanical and thermal isolation
Away from process flange
Position in neck of electronics housing
Temperature Effects
Wheatstone bridge often used to

compensate for temperature effects

Remote Diaphragm Seals
Corrosion is possible
Fluid viscosity may cause clogging
Process temperature is outside normal

operating temperature of transmitter
NEEDS Fluid may solidify
Fluid needs to be flushed
Maintaining sanitary or aseptic conditions
Making density or other measurements.

Remote Diaphragm Seals
Large diameter minimises temperature effects
Short capillary reduces temperature effects
Transmitter below lower tap when using vacuum

Precautions
Fluid to cope with extremes, ie: temp and pressure
Fill and process fluids compatible

fluid
diaphragm diameter
In two seal system use same
capillary length

Process Flanges
•Coplanar flange
- Becoming more standard
•Level flange
- Permits direct process mounting
•Traditional flange
- Traditional biplanar configurations

Additional Hardware
• If pulsation dampeners are required the
material and fill fluids must be compatible
with the process fluid
• Siphons of correct material required for

vapours above 60oC

Overall Control Loop
Longer response due to material

build-up on sensing element
•Impact
Over-ranging causing incorrect readings

Thank You For Your Interest
If you are interested in further training, please visit:
IDC Technologies Short Courses:

Two-day practical courses available to the public:
http://www.idc-online.com/slideshare


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Pressure Measurement

• Practical, useful with Q & A

• PID loop Tuning / Arc Flash Protection,

• You get the recording and slides

www.idc-online.com/slideshare Technology Training that Works

• Units of psi, mm Hg and kPa

• Absolute Pressure referenced to a vacuum

• Gauge Pressure referred to one standard atmosphere

• Differential Pressure compares two different pressures

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

Due to weight of the molecules “pressing down”

Relative movement when a body is moving through air

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

•Helix and spiral tubes

•Spring and Bellows

•Single and Double Inverted Bell

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Orientation dependent for correct results

• Wide Operating range

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• With one end sealed, pressure causes the

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

•Spiral Bourdon Element

•Helix Bourdon Element

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

•Disadvantages Very Expensive

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Pressure applied to actuator

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Pulsation generated by reciprocating refrigeration

• Require additional pulsation dampening

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Simple construction • Sensitive to temperature

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Two main types :

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Provide isolation from process fluid

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Simplest form is U-shaped, liquid filled tube

• Reference and measured pressure applied to

• Difference in pressure causes difference in

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

• Mainly spot checks or calibration

• Low range measurements

www.eit.edu.au Technology Training that Works

Higher pressure range requires mercury

Disadvantages Range (water)

Readings are localised

Size limits operation to low range

• The bell instrument is used where very low