Pressure Gauges: Characteristics and Applications

A pressure gauge is a device used to measure the pressure of liquids and gases in various industries. These gauges play a vital role among the instruments used in measurement technology. Their wide and diverse range of applications means that
several types of pressure gauges
are currently available on the market, differing not only in design but also in purpose, measurement accuracy, pressure range, etc.

Applications of Pressure Gauges

The term "pressure gauge" refers to all devices used to measure pressure. Based on the indicated pressure and the reference pressure, we can distinguish among these instruments: vacuum gauges, vacuum-pressure gauges, differential gauges, absolute gauges, and relative gauges (manometers). Their primary function is to indicate the difference between the internal pressure of the system under test and the ambient pressure outside it (i.e., atmospheric pressure). A manometer indicates the value by which the measured pressure is higher or lower than atmospheric pressure.

Pressure measurement devices are widely used in various industries, including primarily hydraulics, sewage systems, heating, thermal power generation, the gas industry, water supply, agriculture, the food industry, etc.

Types of pressure gauges and their characteristics

• Standard pressure gauges—these are Bourdon tube instruments used to measure the pressure of liquids and gases that do not react with the material of the measuring system. Among them are, for example, air conditioning pressure gauges, tire pressure gauges, nitrogen pressure gauges, water pressure gauges, etc.

• Cap-type pressure gauges—are used to measure low pressures in the range of -600 mbar to +600 mbar. They are used for dry gaseous media. They are used, among others, in medical technologies, low-pressure systems, vacuum technologies, etc.

• Diaphragm-separated pressure gauges – are used in systems where the medium is dense, sticky, hot, contaminated, etc. They are also used in systems where exceptional sterility of the installation is required. The role of the diaphragm seal is to protect the measuring system from the influence of the measured medium. These types of instruments are primarily used in the food, pharmaceutical, and biochemical industries.

• Acid-resistant pressure gauges—are designed to measure the pressure of aggressive liquid and gaseous media. They are primarily used in the chemical, marine, and petrochemical industries, etc.