VACUUM GAUGES

S.S.S.D.KOUSHIK
31907119
WHAT IS VACUUM?
• Vacuum or low pressure is referred as the pressure below the atmospheric
pressure(760 mm of Hg).
• Its units are torr, millibar, micrometer of Hg etc.
• Vacuum gauges are used for the measurement of pressure ranging from
below 760 mm of Hg to 10^(-8) mm of Hg.
• Vacuum gauges uses indirect methods of pressure measurement which
involves the measurement of certain properties which changes due to
change in pressure.
TYPES OF VACUUM GAUGES:
• Mechanical vacuum gauges
• Thermal conductivity vacuum gauges
• Ionization vacuum gauges
• McLeod gauge
• Knudsen gauge
• Viscosity gauge
MECHANICAL VACUUM GAUGES:
• These are the vacuum gauges where the pressure readings are independent
of the type of the gas.
• They are again of 4 types:
1. Bourdon vacuum gauge
2. Capsule vacuum gauge
3. Diaphragm vacuum gauge
4. Capacitance vacuum gauge
1. BOURDON VACUUM GAUGE:
• The inside of the Bourdon tube is
connected to the vacuum system.
• Due to the effect of the external
pressure, the end of the tube bends
more or less.
• This makes the pointer to deflect
accordingly on a linear scale.
• Range: 10 mbar (=7.5 torr=7.5 mm
of Hg) to 760 mm of Hg.
2. CAPSULE VACUUM GAUGE:
• It contains a sealed, evacuated, thin-
walled diaphragm capsule which is
located within the instrument.
• As the vacuum pressure reduces, the
size of the capsule changes.
• This movement is transferred to the
pointer through levers and can be
read as pressure on a linear scale.
• Range: 0-25 mbar(=18.75 torr =
18.75 mm of Hg).
3. DIAPHRAGM VACUUM GAUGE:
• It has a sealed and evacuated vacuum chamber which
serves as reference quantity separated by a diaphragm
from the vacuum pressure to be measured.
• With increasing evacuation, the difference between
the pressures to be measured and in the reference
chamber becomes less, causing the diaphragm flex.
• This movement is transferred to the pointer and scale
system by the levers and can be read as pressure.
• It is capable for absolute pressure measurements.
• Range: 1 mbar(=0.75 torr=0.75 mm of Hg) - 2000
mbar(=1500 torr=1500 mm of Hg).
4. CAPACITANCE VACUUM GAUGE:
• A reference volume in the gauge is evacuated to
a defined value p2 which is smaller than the
vacuum pressure to be measured p1.
• A plate capacitor is created by the diaphragm
and with a fixed electrode behind the diaphragm.
• When the distance between the two plates of this
capacitor changes, capacitance also changes
which is proportional to the pressure and is
converted into a corresponding electrical signal.
• Range: 10^(-5) mbar – 760 mm of Hg.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY VACUUM GAUGES:
• These are the vacuum gauges where the pressure readings depend upon the
type of the gas.
• They work on principle of “thermal conductivity” which defines the ability
of a material to carry the heat by conduction. At low pressure(10^(-4) torr –
10^(-2) torr), the conductivity of gas is proportional to the pressure of gas.
• These gauges are again of 2 types:
A. Thermocouple vacuum gauge
B. Pirani gauge
A. THERMOCOUPLE VACUUM GAUGE:
• Principle: Change in the pressure of gas causes
change in the thermal conductivity of gas.
• Construction and Working: It consists of a metal or
glass chamber with heater element inside and a
thermocouple to measure its temperature.
• A constant current is supplied to the heater element
through an external voltage source.
• When the vacuum of unknown pressure is allowed
into the chamber, the temperature of heater element
changes due to conduction and convection of heat
to the surroundings.
• So the temperature of heater element changes and thermocouple measures it in
terms of voltage which is indicated in a PMMC meter connected to it.
• Thus the output voltage of thermocouple is a function of the temperature of
heater element which inturn is a function of input vacuum pressure.
• The PMMC meter can be directly calibrated in terms of input pressure.
• Advantages: 1. Inexpensive.
2. can measure pressure below 10^(-3) mm of Hg.
• Disadvantages: Filament may burnout if exposed to atmospheric pressure.
• Range: 10^(-4) mbar(0.075 micrometer of Hg) – 760 mm of Hg.
B. PIRANI GAUGE:
• Principle: Change in the pressure of gas causes
change in the thermal conductivity of gas.
• Construction and Working: It has an enclosed
chamber with a heater element, connected as
one of the arm of wheatstone bridge.
• The bridge is supplied with an external voltage
source such that a constant current flows
through the heater element. The resistors of the
bridge are arranged such that the bridge is in
balanced condition initially.
• When the vacuum of unknown pressure is allowed into the chamber, the
temperature of heater element changes due to thermal conductivity of gas.
• As the resistance of wire depends on temperature, the resistance of heater
element changes and the bridge becomes unbalanced causing deflection in
PMMC meter.
• Hence the output current is a function resistance of heater element which
inturn a function of temperature of heater element which is a function of
input vacuum pressure.
• Advantages: 1. Inexpensive.
2. More rugged and more accurate than thermocouple type.
• Disadvantages: Needs regular calibration.
• Range: 10^(-1) – 10^(-3) mm of Hg.
IONIZATION VACUUM GAUGES:
• These are the vacuum gauges where the pressure readings depend upon the
type of the gas.
• They work on the principle of ionization of atoms producing electrons whose
collision produces current proportional to the input vacuum pressure.
• They are again of 2 types:
I. Hot cathode ionization vacuum gauge
II. Cold cathode ionization vacuum gauge
I. HOT CATHODE IONIZATION VACUUM GAUGE:
• It is also known as Bayard-Alpert gauge.
• It has a chamber in which vacuum is allowed,
consists of a hot cathode, a grid and a plate.
• Cathode is heated by using a power supply which
emits electrons known as thermionic emission.
• The emitted electrons move towards positively
charged grid and some electrons are captured by the
grid, producing grid current Ig.
• Electrons hitting the grid produces X-rays that
produce photoelectric noise in ion collector plate,
which limits the low pressure sensitivity of gauge.
• The electrons with high kinetic energy pass through the grid and collide with
gas atoms causing ionization.
• The positive ions thus produced by ionization are attracted towards the
negatively charged plate producing current Ip.
• Therefore, depending on the pressure, the number of atoms enter into the
chamber and thus the positive ions are formed.
• The current Ip is a function positive ions which inturn is a function of gas
pressure. The gas pressure is found to be the ratio of plate and grid currents.
i.e; P = (1/S)*(Ip/Ig)
where; S = Sensitivity of gauge
• Advantages: It can measure very low pressures
• Disadvantages: 1. High plate and grid voltages are required(50-300V).
2. Filament may burnout quickly.
3. Photoelectric noise limits the range of gauge.
• Range: 10^(-3) – 10^(-11) mm of Hg.
II. COLD CATHODE IONIZATION VACUUM GAUGE:
• It is known as Philips cold cathode gauge which
overcomes the high temperature filament
problems.
• Here a high accelerating potential(2000V) is
applied which withdraws the electrons from
electrode surface.
• As the rate of electron emission is lower in cold
cathode units, the collision frequency between
gas molecules and electrons would also be lower
if the electrons travel in straight paths.
• To increase path length of electrons, magnetic field is created around
the tube which forms spiral paths.
• The long path results in more collisions, thus greater ionization.
• This collision results in ionic current as the output which measured by
the micro ammeter and is proportional to the input vacuum pressure.
• Range: 10^(-2) – 10^(-5) torr.
MCLEOD GAUGE:
• This gauge is insensitive to gas composition.
• Principle: Compression of the sample of low
pressure gas to a pressure sufficiently read
with simple manometer.
• Working: When the plunger is withdrawn,
mercury level is lowered and admit the gas
at unknown pressure.
• When the plunger is pushed in, the mercury
level goes up, sealing off the gas sample of
known volume V in bulb and in capillary A.
MCLEOD GAUGE:

• Further motion of plunger

causes compression of the
sample, and motion is
continued until the mercury
level in capillary B is at zero
mark.
• The unknown pressure is then
calculated by using Boyle’s
law as follows:
Advantages: 1. Independent of gas composition.
2. Serves as reference standard to calibrate other gauges.
3. Highly accurate.
Disadvantages: 1. Can’t produce continuous output.
2. The gas used must obey the Boyle’s law.
Range: 0.01 bar – 0.0001 bar(~0.05 micro meter of Hg).
Applications: Used as reference to calibrate other low pressure gauges.
KNUDSEN GAUGE:
• This gauge is insensitive to type of gas,
and measures the pressures too low for
McLeod gauge.
• It consists of 2 fixed heated plates on
both sides of movable vane, enclosed
in a chamber where the gas pressure P
is to be measured.
• It has a mirror-light source, a scale to
measure deflection of vane and springs
to restrain the vane movement.
• The plates are maintained at absolute temperature T, and heaters are used to
maintain it higher than the absolute temperature of gas Tg which is also the
temperature of vane.
• Gas molecules striking hot plates have higher velocity than those leaving the
vane. Thus there is a net momentum imparted to the vane, giving rise to a net
force of vane F which is absorved as angular deflection of mirror.
• Force produced on the vane is proportional to the pressure for given values
of T and Tg.
Therefore, P = (K*F)/sqrt((T/Tg)-1)
where, K is a constant
• Advantages: 1. Insensitive to gas composition.
2. Measures very low pressures than below the range of
McLeod gauge.
• Range: 10*10^(-9) – 10*10^(-3) torr.
VISCOSITY GAUGE:
• It is also known as Momentum transfer gauge.
• Principle: According to kinetic theory of gases, viscosity of gas is directly
proportional to its pressure for pressure less than 10*10^(-3) torr.
• Hence using this gauge, unknown pressure of gas is measured by measuring
its viscosity.
• One way of measuring viscosity is to measure it in terms of torque required to
rotate a cylinder within another cylinder filled with gas whose pressure is to be
measured.
• This gauge consists of a cylindrical drum with bladed wheel which is
connected to a motor which rotates at a constant speed of 3000 rpm.
• This observed torque will be calibrated into viscosity terms. As viscosity
is directly proportional to pressure, this quantity will be calibrated into
pressure scale.
• Disadvantages: 1. Viscosity varies with pressure for different gases.
2. For pressure above 1 torr, viscosity is independent of
torque.
• Range: Less than 10*10^(-3) torr – 0.1*10^(-6) torr.
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