Hospitals & Labs
Liquid
mercury barometers are in use on a daily basis in many hospitals and medical
labs around the country. These facilities use the barometers to find the
local air pressure in order to calibrate various pieces of medical
equipment. The Eco-celli barometer reads altitude adjusted barometric
pressure. Most medical facilities need the actual air pressure, not
altitude adjusted air pressure, at what ever altitude they are located.
The Eco-celli does not read absolute or true pressure for altitudes
above sea level. The Eco-celli could only be used by medical facilities
located at sea level where true pressure and altitude corrected pressure are the
same value. (Note: If you are confused about this, please call us at
978-649-8547 and we will be happy to explain it to you.) The growing awareness of the danger of mercury and the
potential great cost of a mercury spill clean-up has motivated many facilities
to look for a suitable replacement barometer and in certain specific
circumstances, the Eco-celli will meet that need.
In August, 1998 DD Barometers of Belgium patented the first non-mercury
liquid barometer having the same accuracy as a mercury barometer in measuring
atmospheric pressure. They named their barometer the Eco-celli after
Evangelista Torricelli, the inventor of the barometer. The Eco-celli contains no mercury. The
64 inch long U-shaped glass tube is filled with a red fluid and gas (Boyle's
Law). Because
of the length of the barometer tube, the barometers scale is four times larger than a standard mercury
scale making it much easier to read.
The precision thermometer is filled with blue colored methyl
alcohol. An increase or decrease in temperature can cause the fluid in the
barometer to expand and affect the pressure reading.
This is corrected by setting the movable scale, which is attached to both
the barometer and thermometer, to
the top of the blue fluid in the thermometer and then taking your reading from
the red barometer tube.
The Eco-celli barometer costs 1/3 to 1/2 less than a comparable mercury barometer. Given the low cost and and non-mercury operation, replacing mercury barometers now is a sensible option.
We recommend the E038.501 acrylic model pictured to the left. Read details of the E038 below.
The Eco-celli Barometer is a patented new development in the ecological design of liquid barometers. The Eco-celli contains no mercury making it a suitable barometer for all schools and many hospitals. Mercury is extremely hazardous especially to the well-being of young children. We have documented cleanup cost for mercury spills that have ranged from $2,000 to more than $200,000. All of this can be avoided by using the Eco-celli Barometer.
The Eco-celli barometer consists of a 64-inch long U-shaped tube filled with a red fluid and gas. The pressure of this red fluid on the gas is principle upon which the barometer operates (Boyles Law). Adjacent to the barometer tube is a 32-inch long blue methyl-alcohol thermometer. A truly unique scale that slides between the thermometer and barometer compensates for thermal expansion of the fluid and glass tubing due to changes in room temperature and allows for accurate measurement of air pressure. Finally, the barometer scale is four times larger than a mercury barometer, making it much easier to make readings of air pressure. The temperature scale measures in Degrees F and C, while the pressure scale measures in both millimeters and inches. A scale that reads in both inches and millibars (hPa) is also available.
The Eco-celli comes with a calibration kit to adjust the
unit for an altitude above sea level. The acrylic frame and glass tubes are
packaged separately in the same box and require simple assembly by the final
purchaser.
The model E038.501 has been specifically designed for use in school science classrooms and laboratories. It is made of durable clear acrylic 1/2 thick with very easy to read scales. The glass tubes are easily replaceable if broken. Additional calibration kits and red fluid are also available.
Measurements:
U-shaped tube:
length = 32.28 inches, width = 1.57 inches
Thermometer tube: 32.28 inches
Thermometer scale: 32 to 122 degrees F, 0 - 51 C
Barometer scale readings from 28.80 to 31.00 inches and 732 - 782 mm
Frame size = 36.5 inches long by 5.75 inches wide
Model E038.501 Suggested Retail Price: $319.00
Click here for Eco-celli Assembly Instructions
Click here for Eco-celli Use Instruction Manual