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Mercury pressure gauge

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130:. The centre column is initially completely filled with mercury, as is the connecting capillary. The other two columns are partially filled. The top of both the main column on the right and the reservoir column on the left are connected together and to an inlet for the pressure to be measured. When the test pressure is applied, the mercury rises in both the left and right columns and falls in the centre column. The mercury at the top of the capillary breaks and a vacuum forms there. The pressure is then measured in the usual way by the difference between the heights of the right and centre columns. 143: 106: 20: 159:. This consisted of a series of mercury filled U-tubes connected together with inverted U-tubes. The inverted U-tubes contain compressed air at a pressure designed to bring the instrument into the pressure range of interest. The pressure is found from this instrument by summing together the difference in column heights in each of the U-tubes. 223:
are used to measure the mercury column height. However, in 2019 the backup gauge was decommissioned after being out of service for years. It was so large that it could not be removed by normal means; a hole was cut in the ceiling to extract it. The decommissioning was part of an international move
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The instrument was formerly widely used in education, laboratories, and medical measurements as well as its industrial applications. However, the toxicity of mercury and the risk of spills, through broken glassware, has led to its decline. It is also easier to interface other types of sensor to
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In 1938, Adolph Zimmerli (1886–1967) invented a gauge that overcame the filling problems, at least for pressures below ambient pressure. Zimmerli's gauge consists of three relatively wide columns. Referring to the diagram, the columns in the centre and on the right function as a standard U-tube
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For extremely high pressures, the column can still be very high, even when using mercury. Gauges for measuring pressure in the range 20–30 standard atmospheres (15,000–23,000 mmHg) have been built. A 23-metre-tall mercury column is difficult to read and suffers from inaccuracies caused by
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The instrument consists of a glass U-tube half-filled with mercury. One end is connected to the vessel whose pressure is being measured. The other may be either left open or sealed. If it is left open, the pressure measured is relative to air pressure, which is variable. If it is sealed, the
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might be employed for accuracy. When relative pressure is being measured the difference may be negative, meaning the test pressure is below the reference pressure. The ubiquity of this instrument led to mmHg becoming a common unit of measure of pressure. It is also related to another unit of
191:. A gauge for use on steam engines very similar to the later Kamerlingh-Onnes gauge was patented in 1858 by Thomas Purssglove. Like the Kamerlingh-Onnes device, it had multiple U-tubes connected in series. The connecting tubes were filled with an incompressible fluid. 72:
The pressure is determined by measuring the difference in height between the reference column and the column connected to the item under test. Calibration marks are usually provided to aid in this measurement and in laboratories a
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Since a new vacuum is formed each time a measurement is made, there is no problem with the vacuum becoming contaminated. Any bubbles that do form in the capillary are easily removed by inverting the gauge and shaking or tapping.
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as the working fluid. The most basic form of this instrument is a U-shaped glass tube filled with mercury. More complex versions deal with very high pressure or have better means of filling with mercury.
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of the gauge to a vessel of mercury, pumping out the air and boiling the mercury. After filling, the gauge is then cut away again. Further, the vacuum in the gauge eventually deteriorates due to slow
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to stop using mercury in standards laboratories for environmental reasons. NIST will eventually also take the main mercury gauge out of service after a portable
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in 1643. An early engineering application of the mercury pressure gauge was to measure pressure in steam boilers during the age of steam. The first use on
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Suski, J.; Puers, R.; Ehrlich, C.D.; Schmidt, J.W.; Abramson, E.H.; Sutton, C.M., "Pressure", ch. 3 in, Goodwin, A.R.H.; Marsh, K.N.; Wakeham, W.A. (eds),
53:. The tube is sealed during manufacture with the sealed end containing a vacuum. Mercury is a useful material to use in a manometer because of its high 574: 212: 151:
different parts of the column being at different temperatures. A more compact mercury pressure gauge suitable for high pressure was built by
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gauge. Additionally, the top of the centre column is connected to the bottom of the third column on the left with a
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Experimental Thermodynamics (vol. 6): Measurement of the Thermodynamic Properties of Single Phases
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The initial filling of a sealed gauge with mercury can be problematic. One method involves
142: 8: 570:, vol. 49–51, pp. 20–45, Associated Friends of the Library of Rutgers University, 1987. 662: 647: 632: 606: 589: 552: 537: 522: 504: 489: 184: 156: 50: 36: 673: 514: 204: 127: 240:, a type of mercury pressure gauge used for calibrating electronic pressure gauges 105: 600: 483: 195:
electronic systems. By 1991 it had mostly been replaced by other technologies.
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Hála, Eduard; Pick, Jiří; Fried, Vojtěch; Vilím, O.; Standart, George (trans),
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Lindh, Wilburta Q.; Pooler, Marilyn S.; Tamparo, Carol D.; Dahl, Barbara M.,
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but is still sometimes found in use, particularly in medicine. In SI units,
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between 1763 and 1775. This engine was a development of the popular
168: 119: 32: 610: 575:"No longer under pressure: NIST dismantles giant mercury manometer" 479: 225: 83: 54: 605:, United States Government Priniting Office, 1990 (1973 edition 622:
English Patents of Inventions, Specifications: 1858, 2675-2752
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of gases through the mercury, making the device inaccurate.
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry: Analytical Edition
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The parent of all mercury pressure gauges is the mercury
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Mercury: A Global Pollutant Requiring Global Initiatives
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Building Technology: Mechanical and Electrical Systems
564:"The Waksman Institute of Microbiology, 1954 to 1984" 547:
Kotz, John C.; Treichel, Paul M.; Townsend, John R.,
577:, NIST, 28 June 2019/15 January 2020, retrieved and 685: 532:Kopp, Brian, "Industrial telemetry", ch. 18 in, 503:, Pergamon Press, 1967 (Elsevier reprint, 2013 521:, Springer Science & Business Media, 2007 213:National Institute of Standards and Technology 23:An open (differential) mercury pressure gauge 137: 680:, vol. 10, iss. 5, pp. 283–284, 1 May 1938. 203:Mercury gauges are commonly used as the 141: 104: 18: 386: 146:Kamerlingh Onnes mercury pressure gauge 100: 686: 568:The Journal of the Rutgers University 488:, Nordic Council of Ministers, 2002 198: 586:Delmar's Clinical Medical Assisting 482:Consulting Engineers and Planners, 228:device is installed to replace it. 13: 209:measurement standards laboratories 14: 705: 551:, vol. 1, Cengage Learning, 2008 549:Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity 109:Zimmerli's mercury pressure gauge 473: 461: 448: 439: 430: 421: 412: 399: 373: 360: 351: 646:, John Wiley & Sons, 1996 629:Experiments in Fluid Mechanics 342: 329: 316: 303: 294: 281: 272: 263: 250: 43: 1: 616:Purssglove, Thomas Paramore, 534:Telemetry Systems Engineering 348:<Rutgers author>, p. 34 244: 674:"An improved mercury U-gage" 219:of mercury. For precision, 7: 231: 189:Newcomen atmospheric engine 10: 710: 162: 588:, Cengage Learning, 2009 519:Physics of the Human Body 501:Vapour–Liquid Equilibrium 207:for pressure by national 138:High pressure measurement 49:pressure measured is the 562:Lechevalier, Hubert A., 602:Instrumentman 1 & C 61:of water is just under 573:Lee, Jennifer Lauren, 173:Evangelista Torricelli 153:Heike Kamerlingh Onnes 147: 110: 82:. The mmHg is not an 29:mercury pressure gauge 24: 631:, PHI Learning, 2012 536:, Artech House, 2002 211:. For instance, the 183:while developing the 145: 108: 22: 155:, the discoverer of 101:Filling with mercury 672:Zimmerli, Adolph, 148: 111: 25: 661:, Elsevier, 2003 642:Stein, Benjamin, 599:Mack, Donald M., 445:COWI, pp. 138–139 199:Use as a standard 185:Watt steam engine 157:superconductivity 90:is approximately 51:absolute pressure 16:Type of manometer 701: 627:Singh, Sarbjit, 618:"Pressure gauge" 468: 465: 459: 452: 446: 443: 437: 436:Purssglove, p. 1 434: 428: 425: 419: 416: 410: 403: 397: 390: 384: 377: 371: 364: 358: 357:Zimmerli, p. 283 355: 349: 346: 340: 333: 327: 320: 314: 307: 301: 298: 292: 285: 279: 276: 270: 267: 261: 254: 218: 205:primary standard 115:fusing the glass 96: 89: 64: 60: 709: 708: 704: 703: 702: 700: 699: 698: 694:Pressure gauges 684: 683: 581:29 August 2020. 476: 471: 466: 462: 453: 449: 444: 440: 435: 431: 426: 422: 417: 413: 404: 400: 391: 387: 378: 374: 365: 361: 356: 352: 347: 343: 334: 330: 321: 317: 308: 304: 299: 295: 286: 282: 277: 273: 268: 264: 255: 251: 247: 234: 216: 201: 165: 140: 103: 91: 87: 62: 58: 46: 17: 12: 11: 5: 707: 697: 696: 682: 681: 670: 655: 640: 625: 614: 597: 582: 571: 560: 545: 530: 515:Herman, Irving 512: 497: 475: 472: 470: 469: 460: 447: 438: 429: 420: 411: 398: 385: 372: 359: 350: 341: 328: 315: 302: 293: 280: 271: 262: 248: 246: 243: 242: 241: 233: 230: 200: 197: 164: 161: 139: 136: 128:capillary tube 102: 99: 78:pressure, the 45: 42: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 706: 695: 692: 691: 689: 679: 675: 671: 668: 664: 660: 656: 653: 649: 645: 641: 638: 634: 630: 626: 623: 619: 615: 612: 608: 604: 603: 598: 595: 591: 587: 583: 580: 576: 572: 569: 565: 561: 558: 554: 550: 546: 543: 539: 535: 531: 528: 524: 520: 516: 513: 510: 506: 502: 498: 495: 491: 487: 486: 481: 478: 477: 464: 457: 451: 442: 433: 424: 418:Mack, p. 3-12 415: 408: 402: 395: 389: 382: 376: 370:, pp. 211–212 369: 363: 354: 345: 339:, pp. 209–211 338: 332: 325: 319: 312: 306: 297: 290: 284: 278:Herman, p. 82 275: 269:Stein, p. 409 266: 260:, pp. 207–209 259: 253: 249: 239: 236: 235: 229: 227: 222: 214: 210: 206: 196: 192: 190: 186: 182: 178: 177:steam engines 174: 170: 160: 158: 154: 144: 135: 131: 129: 123: 121: 116: 107: 98: 95: 85: 81: 76: 70: 68: 56: 52: 41: 38: 34: 31:is a type of 30: 21: 677: 658: 643: 628: 621: 601: 585: 567: 548: 533: 518: 500: 484: 474:Bibliography 463: 455: 450: 441: 432: 427:Kopp, p. 494 423: 414: 406: 401: 393: 388: 380: 375: 367: 362: 353: 344: 336: 331: 323: 318: 310: 305: 296: 288: 283: 274: 265: 257: 252: 238:McLeod gauge 202: 193: 171:invented by 166: 149: 132: 124: 112: 75:cathetometer 71: 65:of mercury ( 47: 28: 26: 300:Singh, p. 8 221:ultrasonics 44:Description 667:008053144X 652:0471593192 637:8120345118 594:1435419251 557:0495387118 542:1580532578 527:3540296042 509:1483160866 494:9289307544 245:References 181:James Watt 611:73-603249 169:barometer 120:diffusion 33:manometer 688:Category 579:archived 409:, p. 220 396:, p. 220 383:, p. 212 326:, p. 516 313:, p. 271 291:, p. 208 232:See also 226:photonic 458:, p. 75 179:was by 163:History 84:SI unit 55:density 37:mercury 665:  650:  635:  609:  592:  555:  540:  525:  507:  492:  456:et al. 454:Suski 407:et al. 394:et al. 381:et al. 368:et al. 337:et al. 324:et al. 311:et al. 309:Lindh 289:et al. 258:et al. 217:225 kg 88:1 mmHg 63:7.4 mm 59:100 mm 35:using 405:Hála 392:Hála 379:Hála 366:Hála 335:Hála 322:Kotz 287:Hála 256:Hála 663:ISBN 648:ISBN 633:ISBN 607:LCCN 590:ISBN 553:ISBN 538:ISBN 523:ISBN 505:ISBN 490:ISBN 480:COWI 92:133 80:torr 67:mmHg 467:Lee 94:Pa 69:). 690:: 676:, 620:, 613:). 566:, 517:, 511:). 97:. 27:A 669:. 654:. 639:. 596:. 559:. 544:. 529:. 496:.

Index


manometer
mercury
absolute pressure
density
mmHg
cathetometer
torr
SI unit
Pa

fusing the glass
diffusion
capillary tube

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
superconductivity
barometer
Evangelista Torricelli
steam engines
James Watt
Watt steam engine
Newcomen atmospheric engine
primary standard
measurement standards laboratories
National Institute of Standards and Technology
ultrasonics
photonic
McLeod gauge
COWI

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