Dynamic Pressure Transducer Calibration – Traceable?

Pressure transducers are mainly used for dynamic measurements but calibrated by means of static calibration methods. The reason is that neither a standardized method for a traceable dynamic secondary calibration of pressure transducers nor a primary dynamic calibration method for reference pressure transducers is available. The only exceptions are the calibration methods for pressure field microphones which can also be regarded as dynamic air pressure transducers for the low pressure range. This paper compares results from measurements with two different pressure exciters that have their origin in acoustics and were used for calibration of two types of pressure transducers in the frequency range 31.5 Hz to about 1 kHz at pressure amplitudes up to some 100 Pa. In both cases, a traceably calibrated pressure microphone was used as reference sensor that should provide a traceability of the pressure transducer calibration. The paper discusses the pros and cons of both exciters and if this can be considered as a traceable calibration method.