JORDAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
ME 472
INSTRUMENTATION AND DYNAMIC SYSTEMS LAB
#1
Calibration
Name
ID #
Sec #
Dr.
Date

20120025089
1
Ahmad M. Alshorman
10/8/2016

OBJECTIVES

Get familiar with the Pressure gages, such as the negative and the Positive pressure
instrument.
Get familiar with some electrical instruments such as the DC power supply, AC power
supply (function generator), digital and analog multi-meter.
Study how to calibrate these instruments, and also study the Hysteresis phenomena.

INTRODUCTION
Any instrument, which is prepared for a mechanical or electrical reading may have errors, or
may deviate from the accurate reading, this is because of the continuous using of the
instrument, which causes the tools to wear or be fatigued so these instruments must be
examined and fixed periodically.
Calibration is the process of comparing the readings of a spec tied instrument with either
Standard reading another instrument which is more accurate.
This process enables the user to identify the error of the specified instrument in order to avoid
deviation or errors. Hysteresis is a phenomenon occurs usually in several mechanical or
electrical quantities, such the magnetic curve of iron. Hysteresis is the deviation of the reading
of the instrument when they are gathered increasingly and decreasingly, this phenomenon
should be studied carefully because in some applications, many explanations can execute
using this difference, such the loss of energy in the magnetic curve.

TEST EQUIPMENTS

Negative pressure system

Dead Weight Tester
Power supply DC
Function Generator AC
Analog Meter
Digital Meter

PROCEDURE
Gauge Pressure
A. Vacuum (negative pressure) using the manometer
1. Connect the compressor with the manometer.
2. Vary the pressure of the compressor.
3. Record readings of the pressure from the level difference in the manometer, and the
reading of the pressure gage on the compressor.
4. Tabulate and plot the accurate reading with the gage reading.

B. Positive Pressure using the dead weight instrument

1. Apply pressure by adding weights and record the gage reading.
2. Do the records increasingly and decreasingly, then tabulate and plot the actual reading
of the weights versus the dial reading.

Voltmeter
A. DC scale
1. Connect the calibrated voltmeter with DC power supply in parallel and digital
voltmeter.
2. Vary the power supply so that the digital reads the actual value of the voltage, and
compare it with the analog reading.
3. Tabulate and plot the actual reading of the digital meter versus the analog.

B. AC scale
1. Connect the meter to be calibrated in parallel with the function generator and the
digital voltmeter.
2. Set the frequency to 100 Hz.
3. Vary the power supply, so that the digital reads the actual value of the voltage, and
compare it with the analog reading.
4. Tabulate and plot the actual reading of the digital meter versus the analog.

DATA ANALYSIS
Gauge Pressure
A. Vacuum (negative pressure) using the manometer
Gage reading (in)
pressure Gage
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27

Actual
Manometer (in)
2.60
5.50
8.40
11.35
14.10
17.30
20.65
23.95
27.10

Gage reading (in)

pressure Gage
27
24
21
18
15
12
9
6
3

Actual
Manometer (in)
27.10
22.50
20.10
17.40
14.10
11.0
8.40
5.30
2.80

Table 1 Vacuum (negative pressure) using the manometer data

Actual Manometer (in)

30
25
20
15

Increasingly
Decreasingly

10
5
0

12

15

18

21

24

27

Gauge reading (in)

Figure 1 Comparison between (Negative Pressure) data

B. Positive Pressure using the dead weight instrument

Actual Weights (psi)
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
190

Gage Dial (psi)

25
45
65
85
109
130
159
178
198
210

Actual Weights (psi)

190
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20

Gage Dial (psi)

210
202
185
160
138
112
88
70
41
30

Table 2 Positive Pressure using the dead weight instrument data

250

Gauge Dial (psi)

200
150
Increasingly

100

Decreasingly

50
0

50

100

150

200

Actual Weights (psi)

Figure 2 Comparison Between (Positive Pressure) Data

Voltmeter
Gage Analog
(volt)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

DC scale
Actual Digital
(volt)
0.997
1.993
2.962
3.989
4.980
5.96
6.97
7.98
8.94
9.98

AC scale
Actual Digital
(volt)
1.083
2.092
3.08
4.07
5.05
6.08
7.04
7.83
-

Gage Analog
(volt)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7.79
-

Table 3 Voltmeter data

DC scale

Actual Digital (volt)

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

10

Gage Analog (volt)

Figure 3 DC Data Plot

AC scale
9

Actual Digital (volt)

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

7.79

Gage Analog (volt)

Figure 4 AC Data Plot

DISCUSSION
Gage Pressure
Two different kinds of error may normally be expected in a gauge. Firstly, there is the
possibility of hysteresis, friction and backlash which will yield smaller gauge readings when
the pressure is increasing than when it is decreasing. Typically, the gauge tested on the
calibration dead weight tester will have an error in the range of 1 kN/m2 of the entire range,
which is acceptably small. Secondly, there is error due to the scale being marked off
incorrectly. It will be found that this error increases to a maximum of around 2.5% of the full
scale reading. This is acceptably small for many engineering purposes.

Voltmeter
The results from the analog voltmeter are close to those of the more accurate digital multi
meter as we see in the calibration curve above. (in both AC & DC scale).

CONCLUSION
All instruments must be calibrated as we see from this experiment. In the gage pressure, there
is a difference when we go increasing pressure and when decrease that pressure. This due to
the hysteresis losses in energy.
In the analog voltmeter, there will be some errors in reading as a result of ageing and other
condition like weather.