Many businesses today have the need to check, monitor and maintain pressure within specific systems. It could be a low velocity wind tunnel, HVAC lab, clean rooms, pressurized air systems, hydraulic systems and many other applications. Keeping track of these systems is vital to operations and this is where pressure management comes into play. This technology is nothing new and yet it has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. Let’s take a look at what this technology is, its capabilities and why it can sometimes be a complex issue for modern industry today.
What is Pressure?
When you place a force on a specific area you are pressurizing it. However, force is not specific to a given point but affects the entire surface. Also, the same amount of force can have a different effect, depending on the compression of the area and its size.
Pressure is measured in three basic types:
Fluid – force from liquids or gases
Absolute – atmospheric plus gauge pressure
Gauge – absolute minus atmospheric pressure
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when you take a specific pressure measurement and it is relative to many things. In general, pressure can be measured in pounds per square inch. However, just as important is vacuum (which is negative pressure) and it also needs to be measured and monitored. At the same time, if you two have pressures and the values are known then the difference is considered to be differential pressure.
Pressure gauges are affected by three factors:
Altitude
Ambient temperature
Weather conditions
Elevation also has an effect on pressure management. For instance, water boils at 212 degrees F when you are at sea level. Yet, if you are at an elevation of 5000 feet, the boiling point is lowered to 202 degrees. Boiling points continue to lower by one degree for every 500 feet. This phenomenon occurs because of the increased atmospheric or air pressure associated with higher altitudes.
With small applications, pressure measurement may not be a difficult issue. However, when you have systems which can stretch for miles and cover a wide range of conditions (like pipe systems) pressure management can be quite complicated.
Technology to the Rescue
Thanks to innovative technology today, a wide range of effective pressure sensing equipment has been developed. When you choose a reputable and experienced provider, you have the right kind of assistance.