PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

MEG 222 Week 3 Lecture

Lecture Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, you will be able to,

• Explain the concept of manometers

• Describe the different types of manometers

• Apply appropriate manometer equations to determine
pressure
Introduction

Numerous devices and techniques Absolute pressure

are used in the measurement of, Measured relative to a perfect vacuum i.e.
absolute zero pressure
Gauge pressure
i. Absolute pressure
Measured relative to atmospheric pressure
ii. Gauge pressure
Vacuum pressure
iii. Vacuum pressure
Negative gauge pressure which is also called
suction pressure
Introduction

In previous lectures, recall that pressure

Note that throughout this lecture, pressure
can be expressed as the height of a
will be assumed to be gauge pressure
column of fluid (Pressure Head).
unless specifically designated absolute.
For example, standard atmospheric
For example 60 kPa will be assumed to be
pressure can be expressed as 760 mm
gauge pressure while 60 kPa (abs) will be
of mercury Hg (abs)
absolute pressure
 Mercury Barometer
• The mercury barometer is used to measure
atmospheric pressure

• It consists of a glass tube closed at one end with

the open end immersed in a container of mercury

• The tube (initially with the open end faced

upwards) is filled with mercury and then turned
upside down with the open end immersed in the
Fig. 1: Mercury Barometer container of mercury
 Mercury Barometer

• The column of mercury, after a while comes to an

equilibrium position where its weight plus the force
due to the vapor pressure (which develops in the
space above the column) balances the force due to
atmospheric pressure

• Thus,

𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑚 = 𝛾ℎ + 𝑝𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟

Fig. 1: Mercury Barometer

 Mercury Barometer
• Question for students: Why is water not used as a
barometric liquid?

• Pressure measuring devices that involve the

standard technique of using liquid columns in
vertical or inclined tubes are called manometers

• The mercury barometer is an example of a

manometer
Fig. 1: Mercury Barometer
 Manometers
• There are three common types of manometers
 Piezometer tube
 U-tube manometer
 Inclined-tube manometer

• Piezometer Tube: Is the simplest type of manometer.

It consists of a vertical tube, open at the top and
attached to the container in which the pressure is
desired.

Fig. 2: Piezometer Tube

 Manometers
• The sphygmomanometer, used to
measure blood pressure, operates
based on the principle of a piezometer
tube

• The cuff contains a hollow rubber air

bladder wrapped around the arm. The
cuff is inflated until the pressure in the
air bladder is equal to the pressure on
the artery under the cuff.

Fig. 3: Sphygmomanometer
 Manometers
• Because manometers involve columns of fluids at
rest, the fundamental equation describing their use is,
𝑝 = 𝛾ℎ + 𝑝0
• The equation above gives the pressure at any
elevation within a homogeneous fluid in terms of a
reference pressure 𝑝0 and the vertical distance ℎ
between 𝑝 and 𝑝0.

• Recall that pressure increases as we move downward

Fig. 2: Piezometer Tube
and decreases as we move upward
 Manometers
• For the piezometer tube showed in Figure 2
𝑝𝐴 = 𝛾1ℎ1
Can you confirm if this equation is correct by comparing it with the
fundamental equation in the previous slide?

• Although the piezometer tube is very simple and accurate, it has

some disadvantages.
 It is only suitable if the pressure in the container is greater than atmospheric air
 If the pressure in the container is smaller than atmospheric air, air will be sucked
into the system
 It can only measure relatively small pressures so that the required height of the
Fig. 2: Piezometer Tube column is reasonable
 The fluid in the container (requiring measurement of pressure) must be a liquid
 Manometers
• U-Tube Manometer
• To overcome the disadvantages of the piezometer tube, another
type of manometer called the U-Tube manometer is widely used.

• It consists of a tube formed into the shape of a U as shown in

Figure 3.

• The fluid in the manometer is called the gauge fluid.

Fig. 3: Simple U-Tube Manometer • To find the pressure 𝑝𝐴 in terms of the various column heights,
we start from one end of the system and work around to the
other end of the system
 Manometers
• For the U-Tube manometer shown, we start from point A and work
around to the open end

• Pressure at point A and point (1) are the same. Why?

• As we move from point (1) to (2), pressure will increase by 𝛾1ℎ1. Why?

• The pressure at point (2) is the same as the pressure at point (3).
Why?
Fig. 3: Simple U-Tube Manometer

• From point (3), as we move vertically upward to the open where

pressure is zero, the pressure decreases by 𝛾2ℎ2
 Manometers
• We can obtain the equation form of the various steps in the previous
slides by

𝑝2 = 𝑝3
𝑝2 = 𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1; 𝑝3 = 0 + 𝛾2ℎ2
𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1 = 𝛾2ℎ2
Therefore,
𝑝𝐴 = 𝛾2ℎ2 − 𝛾1ℎ1

• Observe that the pressure at A is in terms of the column heights

Fig. 3: Simple U-Tube Manometer

• One major advantage of the U-tube manometer is the fact that the
gauge fluid can be different from the fluid in the container
 Manometers

• If the fluid in the container is a gas, the contribution of

the gas column 𝛾1ℎ1 is almost always negligible because
of the low specific weight of gases (Check and compare
the specific weight of air with that of water)

• Therefore, 𝑝2 = 𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1 becomes 𝑝𝐴 ≈ 𝑝2 and 𝑝𝐴 ≈ 𝛾2ℎ2

Fig. 3: Simple U-Tube Manometer
 Manometers

Class Activity 1
A closed tank contains compressed air and oil
𝑆𝐺𝑜𝑖𝑙 = 0.90 . A U-Tube manometer using mercury

𝑆𝐺𝐻𝑔 = 13.6 is connected to the tank. The

column heights are ℎ1 = 0.9𝑚, ℎ2 = 0.15𝑚, ℎ3 =
0.23𝑚. Determine the pressure reading of the
gauge.

Fig. 4: Class Activity 1

 Manometers
Class Activity 1
Pressure at (1) is the same as pressure at (2)
because the two points are at the same elevation
in a homogeneous fluid at rest
𝑝1 = 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 + 𝛾𝑜𝑖𝑙 ℎ1 + ℎ2
𝑝2 = 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 + 𝛾𝐻𝑔ℎ3
𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 + 𝛾𝑜𝑖𝑙 ℎ1 + ℎ2 = 𝛾𝐻𝑔ℎ3
𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 𝛾𝐻𝑔ℎ3 − 𝛾𝑜𝑖𝑙 ℎ1 + ℎ2
Students should complete this exercise to obtain
Fig. 4: Class Activity 1
the pressure reading of the gauge
 Manometers
• The U-Tube manometer is also used to measure the
difference in pressure between two containers as shown
in Figure 5.

• This type of U-Tube manometer is called the differential

U-tube manometer

• Following the same procedure as before,

𝑝2 = 𝑝3
Fig. 5: Differential U-Tube Manometer
𝑝2 = 𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1; 𝑝3 = 𝑝𝐵 + 𝛾3ℎ3 + 𝛾2ℎ2
𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1 = 𝑝𝐵 + 𝛾3ℎ3 + 𝛾2ℎ2
𝑝𝐴 − 𝑝𝐵 = 𝛾3ℎ3 + 𝛾2ℎ2 − 𝛾1ℎ1
 Manometers
Class Activity 2
The volume flow rate through a pipe can be
determined by means of a flow nozzle located in a
pipe as shown in Figure 6. The nozzle creates a
pressure drop 𝑝𝐴 − 𝑝𝐵 along the pipe.
(a) Determine the equation for 𝑝𝐴 − 𝑝𝐵 in terms of the
specific weight of the flowing fluid, the specific
weight of the gauge fluid and the various heights
indicated in the figure
Fig. 6: Class Activity 2 (b) Determine the value of the pressure drop for the
following parameters
𝛾1 = 9.8 𝑘𝑁 𝑚3 , 𝛾2 = 15.6 𝑘𝑁 𝑚3 , ℎ1 = 1𝑚, ℎ2
= 0.5𝑚
 Manometers
Class Activity 2
Pressure at (1) is equal to the pressure at (2) and
the pressure at (2) is equal to the pressure at (3).
Also, pressure at (4) is equal to the pressure at (5)
𝑝2 = 𝑝𝐴 − 𝛾1ℎ1
𝑝3 = 𝑝𝐵 − 𝛾1 ℎ1 + ℎ2 + 𝛾2ℎ2
𝑝𝐴 − 𝛾1ℎ1 = 𝑝𝐵 − 𝛾1 ℎ1 + ℎ2 + 𝛾2ℎ2
𝑝𝐴 − 𝑝𝐵 = 𝛾1ℎ1 − 𝛾1 ℎ1 + ℎ2 + 𝛾2ℎ2
Fig. 6: Class Activity 2
𝑝𝐴 − 𝑝𝐵 = ℎ2 𝛾2 − 𝛾1
Students should complete this class activity by solving
for the pressure difference using the given parameters
 Manometers

Fig. 7: Inclined-Tube Manometer • Inclined-Tube Manometer

• This kind of manometer is used to measure small pressure changes
• Moving from point A to B
𝑝𝐴 + 𝛾1ℎ1 − 𝛾2𝑙2 sin 𝜃 − 𝛾3ℎ3 = 𝑃𝐵
• Note that the pressure difference between point 1 and 2 is due to the
vertical distance between them
 Take Home Practice Questions
For the inclined-tube manometer shown in the figure below, the pressure at A is
8 kPa. The fluid in both pipes A and B is water and the gauge fluid has a specific
gravity of 2.6. Write the manometer equation and determine the pressure at B.
 Take Home Practice Questions
2. An inverted differential U-tube manometer is
connected to two pipes which convey water. The
gauge fluid is oil whose specific gravity is 0.8. Find
the pressure difference between A and B.

3. A U-Tube manometer is used to

measure the pressure of water in a

1. A differential U-Tube manometer shown above is pipeline. The right limb of the

connected to two containers A and B. If air manometer contains mercury and it

pressure at B is 9.81 𝑁 𝑐𝑚2(abs), find the absolute is open to the atmosphere. What is

pressure at A the pressure at A?

Mechanical & Electronic Pressure-Measuring Devices
• Although manometers are widely used, they are not well
suited for measuring very high pressures that are
changing rapidly with time

• Measurements requiring one or more column heights

also makes the process time consuming

• To overcome these challenges other types of pressure-

measuring instruments have been developed

Fig. 8: Bourdon gauge

• An example is the Bourdon gauge
Mechanical & Electronic Pressure-Measuring Devices
• In the picture shown, the bourdon pressure
gauge is attached to the pipeline of the system’s
inlet pipe.

• The socket block holds the inlet pipe in place,

allowing the pressure to flow into the stationary
end of the tube.

• This pressure is distributed throughout the elastic

C-shaped tube between the fixed and the moving
ends. As the inlet pressure increases, the C-shape
tube straightens.
Mechanical & Electronic Pressure-Measuring Devices
• The pivot and pivot pin attached to the moving
end of the tube connects this movement with
the sector gear.

• This leads to an amplified motion which causes

a deflection of the indicator needle for every
small change in inlet pressure.

• When the inlet pressure increases, the indicator

moves clockwise (from left to right) over a
calibrated scale.
Mechanical & Electronic Pressure-Measuring Devices
• Once the pressure drops, the tube regains its
helix shape, and the indicator moves in an
anticlockwise direction (from right to left).

• Due to its design, the bourdon tube is sensitive

to pressure changes, making it suitable for
high-precision applications.

• It is also resistant to corrosion and vibration.

• The Bourdon Gauge is a mechanical pressure-

measuring device
 Mechanical & Electronic Pressure-Measuring Devices

• In the case of an electronic pressure measuring

device, a sensor is required to detect the
pressure and/or its change, and to convert it
accurately and repeatedly into an electrical
signal utilizing a physical operating principle.

• The electrical signal is then a measure of the

magnitude of the applied pressure or change in
Fig. 9: Digital pressure gauge
pressure.
https://www.afriso.com/en/PM/Industrial-
technology/Electronic-pressure-measuring-instruments
 SUMMARY

1 2 3 4 5 6
Mechanical &
Mercury Piezometer Simple U-Tube Differential U- Inclined-Tube
Electronic
Barometer Tube Manometer Tube Manometer Manometer
Pressure-
Measuring
Devices
Next Lecture
 Hydrostatic Force on Plane Surfaces
 Hydrostatic force in open tanks
 Hydrostatic force on an inclined plane
 Hydrostatic force on a plane circular surface
 Pressure Prism Concept