DIAPHRAGM or CAPSULE-Type Sensors

A diaphragm pressure gauge is a device that uses a diaphragm with a known pressure to measure
pressure in a fluid. It has many different uses, such as monitoring the pressure of a canister of gas,
measuring atmospheric pressure, or recording the strength of the vacuum in a vacuum pump.They are
the specialists in the process industry when it comes to critical measuring tasks such as with highly
corrosive or viscous media or when it comes to low pressure and also overpressure.

Diaphragm pressure gauges are suitable for gauge, absolute and differential pressure.

Design Pressure:

 With Evacuated Force Balance Capsule: up to 344 kPa

 With Atmospheric Reference Motion Balance Capsule: up to 1.4 MPa
 With Atmospheric Reference Force Balance Capsule: up to 10 MPa

Design Pressure:

 Phosphor Bronze: -46 to 120 oC

 Ni- Span C: -46 to 149 oC
 316 Stainless Steel: -240 to 316 oC
 Inconel: -184 to 538 oC

Range (General): 0.12 kPa to 1.4 kPa

FEATURES:

The diaphragm has a flexible membrane with two sides. On one side is an enclosed capsule containing
air or some other fluid at a predetermined pressure. The other side can be left open to the air or
screwed in to whatever system the gauge is meant to measure

HOW IT WORKS?

Basic Mechanics
The diaphragm has a flexible membrane with two sides. On one side is an enclosed capsule containing
air or some other fluid at a predetermined pressure. The other side can be left open to the air or
screwed in to whatever system the gauge is meant to measure. The diaphragm also attaches to some
sort of meter, which shows how high the pressure is.

Detecting Pressure

A fluid in contact with a flexible membrane pushes on that membrane, bending it. The pressure is a
measure of how hard it pushes. When the outside preference is low, the reference pressure bends the
membrane out. As the outside pressure increases, it pushes back on the membrane, bending it back the
other way. By measuring how far the membrane bends, the gauge can detect the outside pressure.

Measuring the Pressure

There are many different ways to measure the pressure from a dynamic pressure gauge. One of the
simplest ones is to attach a needle to the gauge. When the pressure increases, it pushes on the needle,
moving it up and down along a dial which shows the pressure. Another way is to use an electric
resistance strain gauge. An electric resistance strain gauge uses a long strip of an electric resistor--a
device that resists the flow of electricity. The resistor is attached to the diaphragm. As the diaphragm
bends, it stretches out the resistor, increasing the resistance. The resistor has an electric current running
through it. The more the diaphragm bends and increases the resistance, the more the current drops. By
measuring the electric current, the gauge can determine how far the diaphragm has bent, and thus, how
much pressure the outside air is creating.

CAPACITY:

The larger the diaphragm element, the lower the measurable pressure is, in accordance with the
formula; pressure = force / area.

MATERIALS:
Commonly manufactured from Stainless steel grade 316L for industries requiring clean and non-
contaminating materials that could come in contact with their product. Other materials used are
resilient steels or Inconel.

Advantages:

 Much faster frequency response than U tubes.

 Accuracy up to ±0.5% of full scale.

 Good linearity when the deflection is no larger than the order of the diaphragm thickness.

Disadvantages:

 More expensive than other pressure sensors.

FIELDS OF APPLICATIONS:

 Shipbuilding industry

 Energy

 Water and waste water

 Oil and gas

 Food industry

 Pharmaceutical industry

 Fire extinguishing and fire protection