Mechanics of pressure cells

The accurate measurement of a stress field in a solid medium requires an understanding of the interaction between the pressure gage and the surrounding material. In this paper, the effects of shape and stiffness of the pressure gage are analyzed with a view to the prediction of pertinent static-calibration factors. The stress fields around isolated gages are evaluated as a means of estimating when closely spaced pressure cells might interact. The results of experiments performed with miniature semiconductor-type pressure transducers are presented. Good correlation between the experimental results and analytical predictions is obtained.