Definition of

Pressure gauge

In order to discover the meaning of the term manometer that concerns us now, it is necessary, first of all, to know its etymological origin. In this case we can establish that it is a neologism made up of two Greek words:

-The word "hands", which can be translated as "not very dense" or "light".

-The noun "metron", which is synonymous with "measurement".

In the same way, we cannot ignore that this neologism was created by Pierre Varignon (1654 – 1722). This was an inventor and mathematician of French origin who made several revelations within that scientific sector that are still used today.

A manometer is a device used to measure pressure : that is, the physical magnitude that reflects the force exerted by a body on a unit area. With these instruments it is possible to check the pressure of a gas or a liquid.

Pressure gaugeMany manometers are usually responsible for recording gauge pressure , which is the difference between real pressure and atmospheric pressure . For this, they take the atmospheric pressure as a reference and then determine the difference there is with the real pressure of the fluid. It should be noted that atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the atmosphere on the bodies that are immersed in it: at sea level, its normal value is 1013 mbar or 760 mm Hg .

There are two main types of pressure gauges. Analog pressure gauges display the pressure measured using a needle, while digital pressure gauges have an LCD screen where they present the result .

However, we must not forget that there are other classifications of pressure gauges. Thus, for example, they are also grouped into the following:

-General use pressure gauges. We can establish that these are those used in steam boilers, compressors or pumps, for example.

-Commercial pressure gauges, which it should be noted are those commonly used in industrial machinery, in pressurized tanks, in portable compressors or in hydraulic systems of different types.

-Industrial pressure gauges are, for their part, those that are used, as their name indicates, in chemical, petrochemical , food, energy industries... They are usually manufactured with stainless steel and are placed in devices that have many pulsations and even vibrations. of various kinds.

-Differential pressure gauges are those that are also used within the industrial field to show the difference that exists between two input connections.

Manometers are used, for example, to measure the pressure of vehicle tires . Controlling this pressure is very important: tires must have the pressure suggested by the manufacturer to guarantee their adherence to the pavement, avoid excessive wear and not encourage excessive fuel consumption. Since tires lose pressure little by little but constantly, it is essential to use a pressure gauge to perform the check periodically.

To measure blood pressure , meanwhile, a blood pressure monitor or sphygmomanometer is used. It is an element that has a manometer, a stethoscope and an inflatable cuff and is used to record diastolic pressure and systolic pressure.