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SUMMARY

Calibration is the term applied to checking the accuracy or the working condition of the concerned device. So, the calibration of Bourdon Pressure Gauge refers to the checking of its accuracy or reliability in taking a reading. The piston was taken out and cylinder was filled with water until it overflowed, the piston is replaced and allowed to settle and then loaded with 10 loads of 0.5kg increments starting from 1kg. The true pressure for each load is calculated by multiplying the mass of the load by constant g, then dividing it by the area of the piston. The graph drawn gives a positive slope meaning the gauge pressure acquired corresponds to the true pressure, finding the real pressure in fluids.

This exercise being a simple one, Nene Addico and Ms Ahiable read and recorded the values, while Adjei Kofi and Prince Abrokwah loaded and unloaded the setup.

INTRODUCTION
Typically, pressure gauges are devices used for measuring the pressure of a gas or liquid. The bourdon gauge was in 1849 named after its French inventor Eugne Bourdon. It is still one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the pressure of liquids and gases of all kinds, including steam, water, and air up to pressures of 100,000 pounds per square inch. It consists of a hollow metal tube with an oval cross section, bent in the shape of a hook. One end of the tube is closed, the other open and connected to the measurement region. If pressure (above local atmospheric pressure) is applied, the oval cross section will become circular, and at the same time the tube will straighten out slightly. The resulting motion of the closed end, proportional to the pressure, can then be measured via a pointer or needle connected to the end through a suitable linkage.

OBJECTIVE
To calibrate a pressure gauge

APPARATUS
1. The bourdon Pressure gauge 2. Dead weights (in kilograms)

DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIMENTAL SETUP


The bourdon pressure gauge was placed on stable surface and the piston carrying the weights was inserted into the cylinder which had initially been filled to its maximum capacity with water (lubricant).

THEORY
Pressure is defined as force per unit area. It is usually more convenient to use pressure rather than force to describe the influences upon fluid behaviour. The S.I. unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to one newton per square meter (N/m2 or kgm1s2).

Mathematically:

Where: P is the pressure, F is the normal force, A is the area. Pressure is a scalar quantity. It relates the vector surface element (a vector normal to the surface) with the normal force acting on it. The pressure is the scalar proportionality constant that relates the two normal vectors:

The minus sign comes from the fact that the force is considered towards the surface element, while the normal vector points outward. It is incorrect (although rather usual) to say "the pressure is directed in such or such direction". The pressure, as a scalar, has no direction. It is the force given by the previous relationship to the quantity that has a direction, not the pressure. If we change the orientation of the surface element, the direction of the normal force, changes accordingly, but the pressure remains the same. The S.I. unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to one newton per square meter (N/m 2 or kgm1s2).

PROCEDURE
1. The weight of the piston and its cross-sectional area were recorded. 2. The piston was removed, and the cylinder was filled with water (acting as a lubricant) till it overflowed. 3. By tilting and gently tapping the apparatus, trapped air in the tube was cleared. 4. Ensuring the cylinder was vertical; the piston was replaced and allowed to settle. 5. The dead weighs were loaded onto the platform on the piston in 0.5 increments starting from 1kg, for 10 increments. 6. For each weight increment the gauge reading on the dial was read. 7. The process was repeated in both loading and unloading the weights.

RESULTS
Piston (plunger + platform) = 1kg Piston Area (A) = 315mm2 = 0.315m2 Total mass (KG) 31.14 = KN/m2 TRUE PRESSURE (PT) = Where; g = 9.81m/s2

LOAD m (KG)

GAUGE PRESSURE (KN/m2) INCREASING DECREASING

WEIGHT (mg)(N)

TRUE PRESSURE (PT)(N/m2)

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5

56 72 89 103 120 135 150 165 181 194

58 73 91 108 123 138 153 168 182 194

9.810 14.715 19.620 24.525 29.430 34.335 38.240 44.145 49.050 53.955

31.14 46.71 62.29 77.86 93.43 109.00 124.57 140.14 155.71 171.29

COMMENTS
The following deductions can be made by the test performed on the Bourdon Pressure Gauge;

The gauge has a zero error, because with no applied pressure, the gauge still gave a reading. Neglecting the zero error the gauge always gave a result which was less than the applied pressure. The degree of discrepancy increased with the increasing pressure.

Following points can be raised to account for the test results.

May be the fluid used was compressible, so it does not transmit pressure equally in all directions, so recorded values were less. Also since compression increases with greater applied force, so does the error in recoded values. The gauges Bourdon tube could have been misshaped. The gauges gear system might be faulty.

From the graph, the gauge pressure is seen to be directly proportional to the true pressure, as the graph is positive. This implies that the true pressure against the gauge pressure will help read the correct bourdon gauge pressure, since the gauge pressure acquired will have a corresponding true pressure reading from the graph.

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