Concept in Definition ABC

Humans have the need to establish specific parameters or measurements to specify information about temperature, distances, weight or pressure. In the case of pressure, the manometer is the instrument used to measure the pressure in fluids that are enclosed in a container. This type of device establishes the difference between the fluid pressure and the atmospheric pressure.

The scale on an analog manometer and some of its applications

Two differentiated scales appear on the dial of this instrument. In one of them the pointer indicates the pounds per square inch and in the other the kilograms per square centimeter (the latter are in turn equal to bars). Thus, when the manometer is connected to a pressure source, the indicator needle moves through both scales determining the exact value of the pressure. Obviously, the pressure gauge must be accurate and precise.

These devices make it possible to establish a comparison between atmospheric pressure and that within a circuit in which a fluid circulates, be it a liquid or a gas. With this tool it is possible to establish measurements in the hydraulic or pneumatic circuits of the different industrial activities. These pressure gauges are also used in gas plants.

nuclear energy, as well as in heating, ventilation or cooling systems.

Gauge pressure is different from atmospheric pressure

Atmospheric pressure is that produced by the action of the weight of the air on any body located on the earth's surface. The instrument used for this measurement is the barometer and for this reason atmospheric and barometric pressure are equivalent concepts.

The pressure gauge was invented in the context of the second industrial revolution of the 19th century

The first manometer in history with industrial use was invented by the French engineer Eugéne Bourbon in the 19th century. For this reason, this instrument is also known as the Bourbon tube. This measuring tool was soon applied to all kinds of machines, for example the steam engine.

Pressure measurement required a precise device that was adapted to new industries and the automation process. In parallel, in the second industrial Revolution Other significant advances emerged, such as the invention of telegraphy, the discovery of the electricity, the discovery of new metals such as steel or aluminum and the invention of new chemicals such as coal or tar.

These advances and the new means of transport they transformed industrial processes and also modified the ways of understanding work and human relationships. In summary, we could say that the manometer is one of the "pieces" that allow us to understand the complex puzzle of the second revolution industrial.

Fotolia photos: Dzmitrock87, Emel82

Topics in Pressure Gauge