Differential Pressure Gauge
A differential pressure gauge is a device that is instrumental in analyzing the differences in pressure within a system or between two environments. While pressure of an enclosed system can be measured by normal digital pressure gauges but the pressure may not be consistent throughout the enclosure. For instance, there are differences in air pressure in the atmosphere and the flow of air from high pressure to low pressure maintains the equilibrium. However, the inconsistence of pressure in a system is a continual process and at any given instant there are bound to be pressure variations within any system.
Importance of a differential pressure gauge!
While under normal circumstances, a difference in the pressure in an environment may not sound alarming, it is very important in engines of ships, airplanes and in large cranes and the likes. In such circumstances, a deviation from the acceptable range of differential pressure can be catastrophic. This is where a differential pressure gauge is highly vital to ensure that the conditions remain within the permissible limits and the machines or systems can function smoothly.
Differential Pressure Gauge is not an absolute pressure reading!
It has to be kept in mind that any differential pressure reading is not an absolute reading. The latter happens to be the sum of the pressure measured by a gauge and the atmospheric pressure put together.
Manometer – an ideal differential pressure gauge!
A manometer is a popular choice when it comes to analyzing pressure differences between two points in a system or between two environments. The manometer is ideal for such measurements since it is capable of not only measuring differential pressure but also gauge pressure and absolute pressure. The basic dynamics of measuring differential pressure is the U shaped tube filled with liquid separating the two pressure medium. It is the difference in the height of the liquid that determines the pressure differences.
However, with the digital age at an advanced stage, manometers have been transformed into more like other smaller digital pressure gauges. It comes with similar dials or LCD displays showing the measurements. In most differential pressure gauges, the device is much more sophisticated unlike simple pressure gauges. The reason, primarily, is the room for error which is as high as 1.5 percent or 2 percent for some models. Also, differential pressure gauges are normally more prone to external influences and can give wrong reading at the slightest jerks. Owing to this reason many companies use different casing to avoid such deviations. For instance, some differential pressure gauges have glycerin filled cases which lessen the external vibrations or pulsations.
Prerequisites of a good differential pressure gauge!
The accuracy level should at the most have a deviation of plus or minus 1 percent. It should have a spring steel diaphragm. The most preferred dial sizes are 100 mm (4 inches) and 150 mm (6 inches) and you should always purchase one which display the reading in the unit that you require. Although all industrial differential pressure gauges are manufactured on the same concept, one must reconfirm the applications of a model since certain operations may require additional functions and customizable options in the device.