gdfgfgdf2 Experiment 1-Calibrating a Bourdon-tube gauge

2.1 Physical Background and theory

In this experiment a Bourdon-tube gauge is calibrated with the help of a piston
manometer. Thesetup is shokjjlkjlkjlkwn below:
Figure 1
: Schematrwegregic of t33333hecalibration system.
Mohammed Omer 11-0050@student.gutech.edu.om000-11-0050 Gutech

 LTT Lab Report3In this experiment the Bourdon gauge is calibrated by placing known
weights on the piston and thenbalancing these weights by hydraulically increasing the
pressure of the oil via the hand spindle.When a weight is placed on the piston rod, the
pressure exerted by the piston is given by:

(4)Where

is the pressure exerted by the piston,

is the mass of the weight placed,

is the massof the piston rod, g is the acceleration due to gravity and

is the cross-sectional area of the piston.This pressure

is transmitted through the liquid all the way to the bourdon gauge. Due to this risein
pressure the oil in the tubes rise up and create a height difference

and using this heightdifference the pressure in the bourdon-gauge can be calculated by
making a pressure balance:

(5)Where

 is the pressure in the Bourdon gauge,

is the density of the fluid in the manometerand

is height difference caused due to the difference in pressure.

2.2 Experimental Procedure and possible errors
The calibration was begun by marking the point where the pointer of the Bourdon-gauge
pointed.After the first weight was added, then the spindle was rotated in an anticlockwise
direction, until theweight was made to rise up until it was just floating. The piston was
rotated slightly in themeanwhile to eliminate friction between the piston and its guide.
Basically the pressure in the tubesystem was reversed by the spindle to balance the
pressure exerted by the weights and the pistoncombined. After a sense of balance was
reached the point was marked on the bourdon scale. Thepressure for the point could be
calculated using equations (4) and (5). Then this process wasrepeated with additional
weights and points marked on the bourdon-scale.Next the weights were removed one by
one and the spindle rotated in reverse to allow theremaining weights and piston to come to
equilibrium. And each time the marker came back thepoints were marked. There was a
small difference between the points initially marked and the samepoints marked while
going in reverse. This was done to eliminate the error. This occurred due tofrictional
effects. This effect is known as Hysteresis. This was a principle instrumental error.
Anotherpossible error could be human error while judging when the piston was in
equilibrium while forcingit up by rotating the spindle. Also if the process was done too
fast, oil spilled out near the piston andits guide, this could also be an error source. And
lastly the friction between the oil and the tubeinsides, friction between the piston rod and
its shaft could be all sources of error. No results wereobtained during the calibration.