Professional Documents
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Topic:
U tube Manometer
Inclined Manometer
Barometer
CONTENTS:
1. U-Tube Manometer
1.1. Definition
1.2. Principle
1.3. Explanation
1.4. Types
1.5. Advantages of U-tube Manometer
1.6. Disadvantages of U-tube Manometer
2. Well Type Manometer
2.1. Definition
2.2. Principle
2.3. Working
3. Inclined Manometer
3.1. Definition
3.2. Principle
4. Barometer
4.1. Definition
4.2. History
4.3. Types
4.4. Applications
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1. U-Tube Manometer
1.1. Definition:
1.2. Principle:
When the legs of the manometer are connected to separate sources of pressure,
the liquid rises in one leg and drops in the other; the difference between the levels is
proportional to the difference in pressures and inversely proportional to the liquid's
specific gravity [1]
1.3. Explanation:
Liquid column gauges consist of a vertical column of liquid in a tube whose ends
are exposed to different pressures. The column will rise or fall until its weight is in
equilibrium with the pressure differential between the two ends of the tube. A very simple
version is a U-shaped tube half-full of liquid, one side of which is connected to the region of
interest while the reference pressure (which might be the atmospheric pressure or a
vacuum) is applied to the other. The difference in liquid level represents the applied
pressure. The pressure exerted by a column of fluid of height h and density ρ is given by the
hydrostatic pressure equation, P = hgρ. Therefore the pressure difference between the
applied pressure Pa and the reference pressure P0 in a U-tube manometer can be found by
solving Pa − P0 = hgρ. If the fluid being measured is significantly dense, hydrostatic
corrections may have to be made for the height between the moving surface of the
manometer working fluid and the location where the pressure measurement is desired.
Although any fluid can be used, mercury is preferred for its high density (13.534
g/cm3) and low vapor pressure. For low pressure differences well above the vapor pressure
of water, water is commonly used (and
"inches of water" is a common pressure
unit). Liquid-column pressure gauges are
independent of the type of gas being
measured and have a highly linear
calibration. They have poor dynamic
response. When measuring vacuum, the
working liquid may evaporate and
contaminate the vacuum if its vapor
pressure is too high. When measuring
liquid pressure, a loop filled with gas or a
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light fluid must isolate the liquids to prevent them from mixing. Simple hydrostatic gauges
can measure pressures ranging from a few Torr (a few 100 Pa) to a few atmospheres.
(Approximately 1,000,000 Pa)
1.4. Types:
Using a "U"-Tube enables the pressure of both liquids and gases to be measured with the
same instrument. The "U" is connected as in the figure and filled with a fluid called the
manometric fluid. The fluid whose pressure is being measured should have a mass density less
than that of the manometric fluid and the two fluids should not be able to mix readily - that is,
they must be immiscible. tube manometer[2,3,4,5]
1. Simple U - tube manometer
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2.2. Principle:
The well type manometer used the principle of balancing an unknown pressure with
pressure exerted by an unknown pressure with pressure with pressure exerted by a quantity of
liquid whose density is known
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2.3. Working:
2.4. Applications:
Designed for a maximum line pressure of 250 PSI (500 PSI optional) these
instruments may also be used for:
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Tank level
Flow measurement
Leak detection
3.2. Working:
Many applications require accurate measurement of low pressure such as drafts and
very low differentials, primarily in air and gas installations. In these applications the
manometer is arranged with the indicating tube inclined, as in Figure , therefore providing
an expanded scale. This arrangement can allow 12" of scale length to represent 1" of
vertical liquid height. With scale subdivisions to .01 inches of liquid height, the equivalent
pressure of .000360 PSI per division can be read using water as the indicating fluid.
4. Barometer:
4.1. Definition:
An absolute pressure gage specifically designed to measure atmospheric pressure. This
instrument is a type of manometer with one leg at zero pressure absolute[8]
History:
In a famous experiment of 1644, Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647) filled a glass tube
with mercury, closed it at one end, and turned it upside down in a small basin also filled
with mercury. He observed that the mercury column did not descend completely into
the basin, but remained at a height of about 76 cm from the open end of the tube.
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4.2. Types:
A mercury barometer has a glass tube of at least 33 inches (about 84 cm) in height,
closed at one end, with an open mercury-filled reservoir at the base. The weight of the
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mercury creates a vacuum in the top of the tube. Mercury in the tube adjusts until the
weight of the mercury column balances the atmospheric force exerted on the
reservoir. High atmospheric pressure places more force on the reservoir, forcing
mercury higher in the column. Low pressure allows the mercury to drop to a lower
level in the column by lowering the force placed on the reservoir. Since higher
temperature at the instrument will reduce the density of the mercury, the scale for
reading the height of the mercury is adjusted to compensate for this effect.
Design changes to make the instrument more sensitive, simpler to read, and easier to
transport resulted in variations such as the basin, siphon, wheel, cistern, Fortin,
multiple folded, stereometric, and balance barometers. Fitzroy barometers combine
the standard mercury barometer with a thermometer, as well as a guide of how to
interpret pressure changes. Fortin barometers use a variable displacement mercury
cistern, usually constructed with a thumbscrew pressing on a leather diaphragm
bottom. This compensates for displacement of mercury in the column with varying
pressure. To use a Fortin barometer, the level of mercury is set to the zero level before
the pressure is read on the column. Some models also employ a valve for closing the
cistern, enabling the mercury column to be forced to the top of the column for
transport. This prevents water-hammer damage to the column in transit.
An aneroid barometer uses a small, flexible metal box called an aneroid cell. This
aneroid capsule (cell) is made from an alloy of beryllium and copper.[10] The evacuated
capsule (or usually more capsules) is prevented from collapsing by a strong spring.
Small changes in external air pressure cause the cell to expand or contract. This
expansion and contraction drives mechanical levers such that the tiny movements of
the capsule are amplified and displayed on the face of the aneroid barometer. Many
models include a manually set needle which is used to mark the current measurement
so a change can be seen. In addition, the mechanism is made deliberately 'stiff' so that
tapping the barometer reveals whether the pressure is rising or falling as the pointer
moves. It also was invented by Blaise Pascal.
Instrument directly derived from the Torricellian experiment. The lower end of the
barometric tube stands in a basin filled with mercury. The changes in the mercury
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level corresponding to the variations in atmospheric pressure are read on the tube.
[13]
A special type of siphon barometer invented by the English scientist Robert Hooke
(1635-1702) c. 1664. Thanks to a system of floats and pulleys, the changes in mercury
level are translated into the movements of a pointer on a dial. [13]
In this model, the barometric tube, containing mercury, stands in a vessel also filled
with mercury, whose bottom consists of a leather membrane. By changing the
position of the membrane, the mercury can be made to rise in the tube until it is
completely filled. This prevents sudden movements of the mercury, thus making the
instrument easier to transport. [13]
This portable model was developed by the French scientific-instrument maker Nicolas
Fortin (1750-1831). The cistern is partly made of glass; the bottom is made of leather.
A screw is used to compress the leather and calibrate the barometer by adjusting the
lower mercury level to coincide with a reference mark. [13]
Barometer whose tube displays several bends or "folds"; the vertical arms are filled
alternately with mercury and a liquid serving both as a level indicator and a medium
for transmitting the mercury's movements. Folded barometers are shorter and more
manageable than standard mercury versions, but less precise. First described by
Guillaume Amontons (1663-1705) in 1688. [13]
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Model in which the barometric tube (or the cistern) is suspended from the arm of a
balance. The atmospheric pressure is therefore calculated not from the mercury's
level, but from its weight in the tube (or the cistern). [13]
4.2.12. Barographs
4.3. Applications:
A barometer is commonly used for weather prediction, as high air pressure in a
region indicates fair weather while low pressure indicates that storms are more likely.
When used in combination with wind observations, reasonably accurate short-term
forecasts can be made.[12] Simultaneous barometric readings from across a network
of weather stations allow maps of air pressure to be produced, which were the first
form of the modern weather map when created in the 19th century. Isobars, lines of
equal pressure, when drawn on such a map, gives a contour map showing areas of
high and low pressure. Localized high atmospheric pressure acts as a barrier to
approaching weather systems, diverting their course. Low atmospheric pressure, on
the other hand, represents the path of least resistance for a weather system, making
it more likely that low pressure will be associated with increased storm activities.
Typically if the barometer is falling, deteriorating weather or some form of
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References:
1. http://www.answers.com/topic/u-tube-manometer
2. http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/Physics/Mechanics/FluidMechanics/Stat
ics/Measurement/Measurement.htm\
3. www.wilipedia.org
4. LESSON 2: PRESSURE MEASUREMENT AND MANOMETER Rai University
5. www.epa.state.oh.us/opp
6. http://ezinearticles.com/?Pressure-Measurement-Using-U-Tube-
Manometer&id=4507020
7. http://www.transcat.com/technical-reference/newsletters/Manometer_Merium.htm
8. http://www.answers.com/topic/barometer (Sci-Tech Encyclopedia)
9. JetStream. Learning Lesson: Measure the Pressure - The "Wet" Barometer. Retrieved on
2007-05-05.
10. Enotes.com. How Products Are Made: Aneroid Barometer. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.
11. Glossary of Meteorology. Barograph. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.
12. Shark Oil Barometer Barometer World Retrieved on 2009-09-26.
13. http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/museum/esim.asp?c=200301