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2/20/2016

PressureSwitchCalibrationProcedure|InstrumentationTools

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Pressure Switch Calibration Procedure


Calibration,PressureMeasurement June25,2015

Pressure switches are commonly used in the process industry for a wide
range of applications. A pressure switch is a form of sensor that closes or
opens an electrical contact when a certain pressure has been obtained either
throughapressureriseorapressuredrop.
Pressureswitchesareusedtomonitor,control,orprovideacautionorwarning
forapressurerelatedprocess.Therepeatability,accuracy,andfunctionalityof
apressureswitchoftentiedirectlyintothesafteyorefficiencyofaprocessand
thusitbecomesimportantthatpressureswitchesareverifiedandcalibratedto
ensuretheirproperfunctionintheprocess.
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Thereareseveraltermsthatdescribethefunctionofaswitchwhichneedtobe
understoodwhentestingapressureswitch:
Setpoint:Thepressurewhichtheswitchwillchangestate.
NormalState:Thestateoftheswitchwhenatbarometricpressureorideal
state.
Depends on Pressure switch type.(typically it would be either OPEN or
CLOSED).
Reset:Thepressureatwhichtheswitchresetsbacktothenormalstate.
Tolerance:Theallowablevariationfromthesetpointpressure.
Repeatability: The closeness of agreement between the results of
consecutivemeasurements.
DeadBand:Thepressuredifferencebetweenthechangeofstates.
(i.e.OPENtoCLOSEorCLOSEtoOPEN).
TripType:Thisisthedirectiontowhichthechangeofstateshouldhappen.
If the trip type is low, this means the changeofstate happens when the
pressureisfalling.
If the trip type is high, this means the changeofstate happens when the
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2/20/2016

PressureSwitchCalibrationProcedure|InstrumentationTools

pressureisrising.
CalibratingorVerifyingaPressureSwitch
Before implementing the steps, you need to confirm the setpoint and the
deadband of the Pressure switch. In addition, The pressure switch must be
depressurizedandisolated.

PressureSwitchCalibrationProcedure
ConsiderourPressureSwitchisanormallyopenswitch,sowewillneed
to test when the switch changes between open to close. Next, well test the
resetpressure(fromclosedtoopen)andlastly,repeatthetestatleastonceto
determinerepeatability.
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RequiredTools:
1.we must use a pressure calibrator or Multimeter (DMM) to determine the current
stateoftheswitch.
2.weneedtohavea
pressuregenerationdevice(preferablyahandpump).
3.wewillneedawaytomeasurethetrue
pressureusingapressurecalibratororPressuregauge.

CalibrationProcedure
1.First we connect the pressure gauge and Pressure switch to the hand pump as
showninabovefigure.
2.Then we need to measure the present status (NO/NC) of electrical output of the
switchwiththemultimeter.PutmultimeterinContinuitymode.
3.Note:HereinthisexampleourpressureswitchconsideredisNormallyopentype.
So when you connect the multimeter before calibration we have default Normally
Open(NO)signalasoutput.
4.Withourconnectionscomplete,wearereadyto
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2/20/2016

PressureSwitchCalibrationProcedure|InstrumentationTools

performthecalibration.Wedothisbyincreasingpressureuntilwedetectachange
intheswitch.
5.Nowincreasethepressurewiththehelpofhandpump.
6.Whenweseetheswitchchangestatefromopentoclose,werecordtheresult.
7.Next,we
decreasethepressuretillweseetheswitchreset(changefromclosetoopen)and
recordtheresults.Alsorecordthedeadband.
8.Lastly,wewould
repeatthistestatleastoncetodeterminerepeatability.Thedifferencebetweenset
pointandrestpressuresisthedead
band.The dead band must be within the range. The deadband & setpoint of
pressureswitchavailableonnameplateofpressureswitch.

For Normally closed Pressure switch calibration also follows the same above
mentionedprocedure.Butthedefaultstatusof Normallyclosedtype Pressure
switch will have N.C. signal as output. When testing with increasing pressure
the output state changes from N.C. to N.O and while on decreasing pressure
the output state changes from N.O. to N.C. Remaining all steps are same.
Thatsit.verysimple.
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pressureswitchcalibrationprocedure

POSTED BY S BHARADWAJ REDDY


InstrumentationProfessionalWorkinginareputedOil&Gas
Company.

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