Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Instrument and Avionics

System
Topic 1 :
Instrument Terminology
 Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Pressure
Pressure is defined as the force per area:

or
FORCE = PRESSURE X AREA

May be measured directly by:

 Balancing it against that produced by a column of liquid of known
density. Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
– Mercury barometer
 Balancing it against a known weight.
– Dead weight tester
 By the strain it produces in an elastic pressure-sensing elements.
– Bourdon tube, diaphragm, capsule and bellow
2
 Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Atmospheric Pressure
Earth's atmosphere is the layer of air (gases)
surrounding the earth and retained by the earth's
gravity.
Air in contact with the earth is heated by conduction
and radiation, and as a result its density decreases
as the air starts rising. This will make the pressure
drop allows the air to expand, and this in turn
causes a fall in temperature.
Lapse Rate
– The falls in temperature steadily with increasing height up
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
to the tropopause.
Earth’s atmosphere is divided into layers.
– Lowest – Troposphere (0 ft – 36,090 ft)
– Middle – Stratosphere (36,090 ft – 105,000 ft)
– Upper – Chemosphere, ozonosphere, ionosphere and
exosphere.
3
 Above 100,000ft
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology – Press 0 psi
37,000 ft
– Press 6.39 in Hg
– Temp – 56.5°C
30,000 ft
– Press 8.88 in Hg
– Temp – 44.4°C
10,000 ft
– Press 20.57 in Hg
– Tem p - 4.8°C
5,000 ft
– Press 24.89 in Hg
– Temp 5°C
Sea Level (0 ft)
– Press 29.92 in Hg
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
– Press 1013.2 Mb
– Press 14.7 psi
– Temp 15°C
Minus 1,000 ft
– Press 31.01 in Hg
– Temp 16.98°C
4
 Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Pressure

Types of Pressure
Atmospheric pressure
– pressure exerted by the weight of the air (Force of gravity).
– Atmospheric pressure at MSL = 14.7 PSI, 1013.25mb or 29.921 in Hg.
– Atmospheric pressure will decrease with increase in altitude.
Absolute Pressure
– pressure measured with reference to a vacuum or zero pressure.
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
– A mercury barometer and an altimeter are absolute pressure gauge.
– An aneroid capsule measures absolute pressure.
– Absolute pressure = Gauge pressure + Atmospheric pressure.

5
 Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Pressure
Gauge Pressure
– Pressure measured from the existing (relative to) atmospheric
pressure.
– Gauge Pressure = Absolute Pressure - Atmospheric Pressure
Differential Pressure
– The difference in pressure between two points of a system.
– An airspeed indicator is a differential pressure gauge.
Dynamic Pressure
– Pressure resulted from its motion. (Aerodynamic force acting on the
aircraft surfaces).
– Q = ½ ρV² Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
– (Q - Dynamic Pressure, ρ (rho) - density of air, V – velocity of
aircraft)
Pitot Pressure
– Pressure which is collected in a pitot tube or pressure head.
Static Pressure
6
– Ambient pressure collected by a static ports or vent.