UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS OF PRESSURE GAUGE CALIBRATION: COMPARISON OF THE GUM AND MONTE CARLO METHODS
Keywords:
Pressure gauge calibration, GUM, Monte Carlo Simulation method, measurement uncertainty, hysteresis, repeatabilityAbstract
This paper presents a comparative uncertainty analysis of pressure gauge calibration using the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) method and the Monte Carlo Simulation method. Pressure gauge calibration was conducted over a range of 0 to 25 bar to determine indication errors and their associated measurement uncertainties, which are vital for metrological traceability. The study evaluates several uncertainty contributors, including reference standard uncertainty, repeatability, resolution, zero deviation, and hysteresis. While the GUM approach utilizes a standard analytical framework based on linear approximations, the Monte Carlo method provides a probabilistic propagation of input distributions through 1,000,000 numerical iterations. The results demonstrate a high level of agreement between the two methods, with differences in expanded uncertainty remaining below 5% across the investigated range. Hysteresis and repeatability were identified as the dominant uncertainty components, particularly at higher pressure points. The findings confirm that the analytical GUM approach is reliable for this linear calibration model, while the Monte Carlo simulation serves as an effective complementary tool for validating complex or non-linear measurement problems.
Downloads
References
[1] “Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Guideline DKD-R 6-1 Calibration of Pressure Gauges,” 2014. [Online]. Available: www.dkd.eu
[2] “Guidelines on Calibration of Pressure measuring instrument_ Gauges, transmitters and transducers with electrical output”.
[3] P. R. Guimaraes Couto, J. Carreteiro, and S. P. de Oliveir, “Monte Carlo Simulations Applied to Uncertainty in Measurement,” in Theory and Applications of Monte Carlo Simulations, InTech, 2013. doi: 10.5772/53014.
[4] Uncertainty of Force Measurements European Association of National Metrology Institutes. [Online]. Available: www.euramet.org
[5] M. G. Cox and P. M. Harris, “Software Support for Metrology Best Practice Guide No. 6 Uncertainty Evaluation,” 2010.
[6] V. Ramnath, “Comparison of the GUM and Monte Carlo measurement uncertainty techniques with application to effective area determination in pressure standards,” 2010. doi: 10.1051/ijmqe/2010013.
