CALIBRATION OF AN INDICATOR SPRING AND PRESSURE GAUGE

OBJECTIVE
To determine the errors in the indicated pressures on a Bourdon type pressure gauge.
To determine the spring constant for an indicator spring.

PROCEDURE
1. The pressure gauge was connected to the test and the apparatus was filled with oil.
2. The gauge reading was taken at zero pressure; weights were placed on the vertical
piston to give a true pressure of 69kN/m
2
in the system.
3. The plunger was screwed until the vertical piston and weights rose slightly.
4. The weights were rotated to minimise friction and the gauge readings were taken.
5. The steps were repeated in intervals of 69kN/m
2
up to the maximum pressure for the
gauge. When the plunger became tight during the test, more oil was put into the
apparatus.
6. The test was repeated with the indicator in place of the pressure gauge.
7. The pressure readings from the indicator were recorded by marking a card on the
drum with a pencil for each pressure.

DIAGRAM
oil
can
Dead weight
Plunger
Pressure Gauge
Vertical
Piston

THEORY
True Pressure is calculated from the formula, P = F/A.
Where F is force acting on the piston,
A is area of the piston cylinder,
P is true pressure.

For spring indicator,
F = kx, where k is the spring constant
X is the distance indicated by spring
Therefore F = PA
PA = kx
P =
kx
A
, Area is constant.
A graph of true pressure (P) against indicator distances of spring(x) gives the slope K (spring
constant).
TABLE OF RESULTS
TRUE PRESSURE GAUGE READING
CORRECTIONS
TO BE APPLIED
INDICATOR
DISTANCE
(m)
(lb/sq. In) (kN/m
2
) (lb/sq. In) (kN/m
2
) (lb/sq. In) (kN/m
2
)
10 69 14 96.6 4 27.6 0.005
20 138 23 158.7 3 20.7 0.007
30 207 34 234.6 4 27.6 0.01
40 276 44 303.6 4 27.6 0.012
50 345 53 365.7 3 20.7 0.015
60 414 63 434.7 3 20.7 0.018
70 483 74 510.6 4 27.6 0.02
80 552 83 572.7 3 20.7 0.022
90 621 94 648.6 4 27.6 0.025
100 690 103 710.7 3 20.7 0.027
110 759 114 786.6 4 27.6 0.03
120 828 124 855.6 4 27.6 0.032
130 897 134 924.6 4 27.6 0.035
140 966 144 993.6 4 27.6 0.037
150 1035 154 1062.6 4 27.6 0.039
160 1104 165 1138.5 5 34.5 0.043
170 1173 175 1207.5 5 34.5 0.045
180 1242 185 1276.5 5 34.5 0.047
1



y = 51.143x - 690
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
A graph ofGauge reading against corrections to be applied
Corrections to be made in KN/m
2
gauge reading in
KN/m
2
y = 1.008x + 21.557
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
A graph of indicated pressure against true pressure
True pressure in KN/m
2
Indicated pressure in KN/m
2


COMMENTS
From the graph of True pressure against indicator distance, the slope, m is 27685kN/m
2
.
Hence the spring constant is 2.7685 10
4
kN/m
2
/m. Hence the spring constant deviates
slightly from the printed value by 0.0485 10
4
kN/m
2
/m.
PRECAUTIONS
Parallax errors were avoided during reading from pressure gauge.
More oil was put into the apparatus to reduce friction.
The rotation of the plunger was stop the moment the piston raises.
REFERENCES
Applied thermodynamics by T D Eastop and A. McConkey
Experiments on heat transfer and thermodynamics by Robert A. Granger

Microsoft Encarta 2009

Richard Puni
BSc Mechanical Engineering
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kumasi-Ghana
19
th
April 2011
y = 27685x - 65.859
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05
A graph of True pressure against indicator distance
Indicator distance in metres
True pressure in
KN/m
2