I.

HISTORY
What is a Manometer?
Manometers have been developed for the measurement of pressure and vacuum.
Instruments used to measure pressure are called vacuum gauges or pressure gauges. A
manometer could also be referring to a pressure measuring instrument, usually limited to
measuring pressures near to atmospheric.
The term manometer is often used to refer specifically to liquid column hydrostatic
instruments. It is a U-shaped tube consisting of an incompressible fluid like water or mercury. It
is inexpensive and does not need calibration.
Origin
The term manometer is from French word manomètre (1706) and said to have been
coined by French mathematician Pierre Varignon. It is derived from the ancient Greek words
'manós', meaning thin or rare; loose in texture, porous; scanty, few and 'métron'.

When was the Monometer Invented?

The manometer was invented back in 1661 by Otto von Guericke after creating the
vacuum pump. Otto von Guericke was a German scientist, inventor, and politician. His major
scientific achievements were the establishment of the physics of vacuums, the discovery of an
experimental method for clearly demonstrating electrostatic repulsion, and his advocacy for the
reality of "action at a distance" and of "absolute space".
 II. PRINCIPLES
Principles of Manometer
The fundamental principle behind manometer mechanism is hydrostatic equilibrium or
the measurement of static pressure exerted by a still liquid or gas. This scientific law states that
the pressure at any point in a fluid at rest is equal, and its value is just the weight of the overlying
fluid. By analyzing the hydraulic pressure produced by a column of liquid, one could identify the
pressure of the fluid being examined. Its application to fluid mechanics could be traced back to
the Guericke’s vacuum pump and remains effective in constructing today’s most complex
manometer designs. Our generation’s fast-phase industrial process paved way for the varied
array of aforementioned equipment including U tube manometer, Well type manometer and
Inclined tube manometer.

In U-tube manometer the pressure to be measured is applied to one side of the tube
producing a movement of liquid. It can be observed that the level of the filling liquid in the leg
where the pressure is applied has dropped, while the opposite leg has risen. This implies that the
former exerts greater pressure as compared to the latter side of the tube. A scale is fitted between
the tubes in order to measure this displacement. The liquid will only stop moving when the
pressure exerted by the column of liquid is sufficient to balance the pressure applied to one side
of the manometer. This is known as hydrostatic balance. The height of fluid from one surface to
the other is the actual height of fluid opposing the pressure. The pressure is always the height of
fluid from one surface to the other regardless of the shape or Size of the tubes Typical liquids
used to fill in manometers are water, oil and mercury.

With both legs of the instrument open to atmosphere or subjected to the same pressure,
the liquid maintains exactly the same level or a zero reference. We can calculate the value of the
applied pressure by quantifying the data.

p=P1-P2 = ρgh
wherein p=differential pressure
P1=pressure at the low pressure connection
P2=pressure at the high pressure connection ρ=density of the manometer fluid,
g=gravitational constant
h=displacement of the fluid
 Well-type manometer is designed to have legs with different cross-sectional areas.
The larger area leg is called the well. As pressure is applied to the larger leg, the fluid moves
down a minuscule amount compared to the increase in height of the small leg. This ideal
arrangement allows for the reading of scale in the adjacent single indicating tube rather than the
dual scale of U tube manometers.

Similar to prior type, readings depend largely on the fluid displacement. As pressure is
applied at P there must be some drop in the well level D. This is readily compensated for by
spacing the scale graduations in the exact amount required to correct for this well drop. The well
type manometer lends itself to use with direct reading scales graduated in units for the process of
test variable involved.

(h)(P1)(A) – (P2)(A) = (A)hρg

h = (P1 - P2)/ρg
wherein P1=pressure at the low pressure connection
P2=pressure at the high pressure connection ρ=density of the manometer fluid,
g=gravitational constant
h=displacement of the fluid
A=cross-sectional area of smaller tube

Inclined manometer allows for the measurement of minuscule pressure to extremely

high levels of accuracy. Its measuring leg is inclined to the vertical axis by an angle ϴ to expand
the scale, thereby increasing the sensitivity. Considering manometric fluid as a free body, the
forces acting on it are the weight distributed over the entire fluid, drag force due to its motion
and the corresponding tube wall shearing stress, force due to differential pressure and surface
tension force at the two ends.
The differential pressure can be written by the equation,

P1-P2 = (ρ)(h) Cos ϴ (1+a2/a1)

wherein P1=pressure at the low pressure connection
P2=pressure at the high pressure connection ρ=density of the manometer fluid,
g=gravitational constant
h=displacement of the fluid
a1=cross-sectional area of larger tube
a2=cross-sectional area of smaller tube
ϴ=angle of inclination

Another type of manometer used in the field refers to Differential manometers. It

determines pressure differences (gradients), levels of liquids and flow rates of liquids, vapors, or
gases. This is further classified into two: liquid type and mechanical type differential manometer.

Liquid differential manometers are divided into tube, ring, float, and bell types.
Tube differential manometers may have two tubes (U-shaped) or one tube (with a vessel and a
vertical tube or a vessel and an inclined tube, which serves to increase the precision of the
readings when small quantities are being measured). The operation of double-column
differential manometer is based on the use of communicating vessels filled with a column of
liquid that is simultaneously a hydraulic lock and generates the hydrostatic pressure that
counteracts the pressure being measured. One end of the U-shaped tube, which is filled with a
liquid, is connected to a closed volume in which the residual pressure must be determined, and
the other end remains open (under barometric pressure). A liquid which is denser than the two
fluids is used in the U tube, which is immiscible with the other fluids.

PA - PB = g × h (ρg - ρ1)

wherein, h = difference in manometer fluid level in the U-tube

ρg = density of heavy liquid
ρ1 = density of liquid A.
 Mechanical differential manometers are divided into the membrane type, with a
flat elastic metal membrane or a nonmetallic membrane, and the bellows type. In the membrane
type, the elastic metallic membrane bends under the influence of the pressure being measured,
and the magnitude of the bending is used to determine the pressure. In some designs, the
membrane serves only to separate the chambers. The counteracting force upon deformation is
generated by a calibrated cylindrical spiral spring, which takes the load from the membrane.
Some membrane differential manometers contain protection from a one-sided overload and may
be used for measuring not only gradients but also excess pressures.

Digital manometers pose high prospects in pressure

determination in terms accuracy, precision and convenience. It uses a
microprocessor and pressure transducer to sense slight changes in
pressure and gives the pressure readout on a digital screen. The device
also reports positive, negative, or differential measurements between
pressures. With the integration of an anemometer, flow readings can
also be recorded on a digital manometer.

It does not rely on Hydrostatic Balance of fluids to determine pressure. Instead, they
contain a pressure transducer, a device that can convert an observed pressure level into an
electrical signal whose characteristic value is proportional to, or a proxy for, the magnitude of
the pressure. The elastic portion of the transducer deflects under pressure and that deflection is
then converted to a value of an electrical parameter which can be detected and calibrated to a
pressure reading. Pressure transducers typically make use of one of three types of electrical
parameters – resistive, capacitive, or inductive.
 III. SAMPLE PROBLEMS

A manometer is attached to a tank containing three different fluids as shown in the

figure. What will be the difference in elevation of the mercury column in the
manometer?

𝑃1 + (𝑠𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑙 )(𝜌𝑟𝑒𝑓 )(𝑔ℎ1 ) + (𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 )(𝑔ℎ2 ) + (𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 )(𝑔ℎ3 )

− (𝑠𝑔𝐻𝑔 )(𝜌𝑟𝑒𝑓 )(𝑔𝑦) = 0
𝑘𝑔 𝑚 𝑘𝑔 𝑚
30000 𝑃𝑎 + (0.82) (1000 ) (9.81 ) (3 𝑚) + (1000 ) (9.81 ) (2 𝑚)
𝑚3 𝑠2 𝑚3 𝑠2
𝑘𝑔 𝑚 𝑘𝑔 𝑚
+ (1000 3 ) (9.81 2 ) (1 𝑚) − (13.6) (1000 3 ) (9.81 2 ) (𝑦)
𝑚 𝑠 𝑚 𝑠
=0
y = 0.6263 m
A differential manometer is shown in the figure. Calculate the pressure difference
between point A and B.

PA + (sgoil)(ρref)(x +12 in)(1 ft/12 in) – (sgHg)(ρref)(12 in)(1 ft/12 in) – (sgoil)(ρref)(x
+24 in)(1 ft/12 in) = PB
PA + (0.92)(62.43 lbm/ft3)(x +12 in)(1 ft/12 in) – (13.6)(62.43 lbm/ft3)(12 in)(1
ft/12 in) – (0.92)(62.43 lbm/ft3)(x +24 in)(1 ft/12 in) = PB
PA – 906.4836 lb/ft2 = PB
PA – PB = 906.4836 lb/ft2
 IV. PROCEDURES
How to Perform a Manometer Test
Manometer is used to measure the pressure difference between two gases, often
atmosphere and the gas being tested. A typical manometer consists of a U-shaped
tube filled with either mercury or liquid. The long sides of the tube have a
measuring scale marked off in millimeters. When a gas line is connected to one
side of the manometer it shifts and the difference in the height of the liquid in each
side is used to calculate the pressure of the gas line. The formula for calculating the
pressure is pd = ρ g h, where pd = the pressure difference, ρ = the density of the
liquid in the manometer; mercury equals 13,590 kg/m3; water equals 1,000 kg/m3,
g = acceleration of gravity, 9.81 m/s2 and h = the height of the liquid in meters.

Connect the left side of the manometer tube to a pressure test valve.
Depending on the manometer, you can use the connector tubes on the
manometer or remove these tubes and use the tube on the item being tested,
if available.
Allow the liquid to stop moving in the U-tube before measuring.
Record the height of the liquid in the left tube. If the height of the liquid has
lowered, this measurement is positive. If the height of the liquid is higher
than the start height, this measurement is negative.
Record the height of the liquid in the right tube. Regardless of the liquid
rising or falling, this measurement is always positive.
Subtract the height of the right tube from the height of the left tube. This will
give you the height shift of the liquid. Use the height difference as h in the
pressure difference formula mentioned in the introduction. Use the density
of the liquid specific to the manometer you are using.
Calculate the pressure of the gas being tested.
 V. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

 The monometer is suitable for low pressure applications.

 It has low cost.
 It is simple in construction time proven
 A manometer does not have to be calibrated against any standard; the
pressure difference can be calculated from first principles.
 It has better sensitivity.
 The monometer is available for a large range of filling fluids of varying
specific gravity.
 It is simple in construction.
 It has higher accuracy.
 It can be used to measure pressure, temperature, flow and other process
variables.
 Their suitability for low pressure and low differential pressure applications.

DISADVANTAGES
 In monometers the error are introduced due to condensation.
 It is large in size and bulky.
 It has no over range protection.
 It needs leveling.
 It has slow response, which makes it unsuitable for measuring fluctuating
pressures.
 No fixed reference is available.
 It has lack of portability.
 They are fragile.
 They have smaller operating range which is on the order of 1000 KN/m2.a
 The manometric fluids density depends on temperature. Hence errors may
result due to change in the temperature.
 Error can happen while measuring the h.
 VI. HOW DOES IT WORK
The purpose of a manometer is to measure the pressure of a contained gas. It
consists of a U-shaped glass tube with one end open to the atmosphere, mercury in
the bottom of the U and the gas to be measured in the other side of the U-tube. The
gas is added then the glass tube is sealed on the gas side so the gas is trapped on
one side of the mercury. The liquid mercury is equalized in the two sides of the
tube at atmospheric pressure. When the gas is added, it will exert pressure on the
mercury on the other side. If the pressure of the gas is equal to atmospheric
pressure the mercury will remain at the same levels on both sides. If the gas is
exerting more pressure on the mercury than the atmosphere exerts, it will cause the
mercury to be higher on the atmosphere side than on the sealed side. The
difference between the two heights tells you how much higher the gas pressure is
than atmospheric pressure. Adding the difference to the atmospheric pressure (this
is usually measured in millimeters of mercury) will give the gas pressure. If the gas
is at a pressure below that of the atmosphere then the mercury will be lower on the
gas side and the difference in height is subtracted from atmospheric pressure to get
the gas pressure.

There is also a type of manometer, pictured as well in the diagram, that has gas
sealed on one side of the U-tube, mercury in the middle of the U and the other side
evacuated and sealed. Since there is no air pressure in the evacuated side the
pressure of the gas is given by the difference between the height of mercury on the
two sides.
 REFERENCES

https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/instruments-controls/all-about-
manometers-what-they-are-and-how-they-work/
https://www.engineeringclicks.com/manometer/
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Differential+ManometeM
http://www.instrumentationtoday.com/manometer/2011/09/
https://sciencestruck.com/manometer-working-principle-types-
applications
https://instrumentationtools.com/u-tube-manometer-principle/
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-does-manometer-work-
what-its-purpose-how-can-531462
https://www.polytechnichub.com/advantages-disadvantages-monometer/
https://www.test-and-measurement-
world.com/Terminology/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-
Manometer.html
 Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Gov. Pablo Borbon – Main Campus I
Batangas City, Philippines 4200

A RESEARCH ON MANOMETER

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Physics II

Prepared By:
Jean Ara Camille Bautista
Aldrick Lance Hernandez
Richmond Rafael Macatangay
Sandra Ysabel Macatangay
Elaiza Joy Plata
Sophi Lourdes Rallos
CHE-2101

Noted By:

Mr. Jiro Vince Allen Marinay

Course Instructor