Fluids Mechanics

(ENCV613005)

1st Term 2018/2019

26.09.2018
 Chap. 2 – Fluid Statics
 Pressure at a Point
 Pressure Variation
 Fluid at Rest;
 Pressure in liquids at rest
 Pressure in the atmosphere
 Manometers
 Forces on plane areas
 Forces on curved surfaces
 Buoyancy
 Stability
 Linearly Accelerating Containers
 Rotating Containers
3.4. Forces on Plane Areas
In the design of devices and objects that are
submerged

Flow Surfaces on
obstructions ships

Holding
Dams, gates
Magnitudes tanks, etc.
and
locations of
forces
• The magnitude of the forces acting on a plane at an
angle θ to the horizontal axis depends on:
– area of the plane, and
– the location of the center of gravity to the surface
of ​the liquid
Location of center of gravity and inertia moment through the
center of gravity
Shape of the plane Center gravity Inertia
No.
Point area (from bottom) through
area center gravity,
IG

rectangle

triangle
 Shape of the plane Center gravity Inertia
No.
Point area (from bottom) through
area center gravity,
IG

circle

semicircle
How forces (hydrostatic) act on a
plane area ?
Force on an inclined plane area
Side view O
α x

h hdA
F O
h  y sin 
y

dy dA
y
C yp

C.P.

Top view

Y
Step by step

Side view O
 x
h hdA
F
h  y sin  O
y
dA
dy y
C
yp
C.P.

Top view

Y
Solution:
Total force of the liquid on the plane surface
F   p  dA
h
A p  h sin  
y
   y sin 
F   sin   y  dA
A

h
A  y   y  dA sin  
A
y

F   sin   A  y
   h  A  pc  A
Location of the resultant force, F

y p  F   y  p  dA
h
A p    y sin  sin  
y
y p  F   sin   y 2  dA
A

I x   y 2 dA
y p  F    I x sin  A

I x  I  Ay 2
F   sin   A  y
 ( I  Ay 2 ) sin  I
yp  yp  y
 sin   A  y A y
Distance to the centroid ( y ):
h
y
sin 
Coordinate the center of pressure (yp, xp):
I I xy
yp  y  xp  x 
Ay Ay

The location of the resultant force (F):

The sum of the moments of all infinitesimal
pressure forces acting on the area (A) should
equal the moment of the resultant force (SM = 0).
The magnitude of the force on a plane surface:
Result of the pressure at the centroid multiplied
by the area
In general:
The force does not act at the centroid, except on a
horizontal area for which y = ; then the center
of pressure and the centroid coincide.
The force (F)
Is the result of a pressure prism acting on the area
(see Figure 2.10.c)
 Pressure Prism

a) Rectangular b) Pressure distribution c) Pressure prism

area on the area
Force on a plane area with top edge in a free
surface

H’
H’/3 H/3
Force on a submerged inclined- and vertical-
gate X

R h1
F1 yp
H
F2
A
F1
y R
F2
A

Y
 Example
An elliptical gate closed end of a pipe
with a diameter 4m. If the gate hinge is
on the top, calculate the normal force F
required to open the door when the
depth of water is 8 m above the hinge
and pipe is open (atmospheric) on the
other side ? Neglect the weight of gate.

Determine the total hydrostatic force F,

acting on the plane area:

Where (see table), so that

Then, calculate the inclined distance between and

The inclined distance to the hinge is 8m x 5m/4m = 10m, and the

inclined distance from the hinge to the center point (centroid) =
2,5m. So that,

Both moments at hing should equal to zero:

Review of Centroid & Area Moment of Inertia
• The magnitude of force acting on a plane surface located
vertically inside a liquid, basically equal to the force that
acting on a plane area inclined with angle θ = 90o

Side view Front view

Solution:
Total hydrostatic force on the plane surface
F   p  dA
h
A p  h sin  
y
   y sin 
F   sin   y  dA
A

h
A  y   y  dA sin  
A
y

F   sin   A  y
   h  A  pc  A
• Since the angle, θ = 90o so that the equation can
be simplified as:
F    A y
   h  A  pc  A
 Pressure Prism
 A graphical interpretation that informative
and useful to describe forces caused by
fluid works on a plane area.
• Imagine the pressure distribution along the
vertical wall of a water tank; width b, filled
with liquid at specific weight .
• Since the pressure varies linearly to the
depth, the variation of the pressure is
equal to zero at the surface and reach the
maximum at the bottom.
• The prism diagram as averaged pressure
occurs at the depth of h/2 and so that
resultant force that acting at rectangle
plane (A = b h) is:
 Pressure Prism
A volume called as pressure prism which represented geometrical
hydrostatic force on a plane surface

Resultant force
should located at
center point
(centroid ) of
pressure prism.
Forces distribution on plane surface
 Pressure Diagram
Another way to determine hydrostatic force and center of pressure is employing the
concept of pressure distribution at the surface

Center of pressure
located at the
centroid of
Average pressure at the plane surface pressure prism
Total force: F = average pressure
x surface area of the plane

= Volume pressure prism

Total force per unit width = = area of pressure diagram
Exercise 1
Find the location of the resultant force F of the water on the
triangular gate and the force P necessary to hold the gate in the
position shown in Figure below. Neglect the weight of the gate,
as usual.
Exercise 2
A plane area of 60 cm x 60 cm acts as a gate on a submersible lake.
If it is on a 30o angle with the horizontal, what force applied at the
bottom edge is needed to just open the gate, if it is hinged at the
top edge when the top edge is 8 m below the surface?

Note: the pressure inside the submersible is assumed to be

atmospheric.
How forces (hydrostatic) act on a
curved surface ?
Basic Principles

• Hydrostatic pressure acting on each different point

on the curved area depends on:
– Different depths, and
– Different directions

• Resultant of the compressive force can be

found from the resultant force of vertical (Fv)
and horizontal (Fh) direction
3.5. Forces on Curved Surface
Does not use direct method of integration, rather, a
free-body diagram; contains the curved surface and
the liquids directly above or below the curved
surface.

F1
F2 F2

Fw
 Forces acting on a curved surface

a) Curved surface b) Free-body diagram of c) Free-body of

water and gate gate only
Example:
Determine the magnitude and
resultant line of work force, F at 1
unit width.

Balance of forces on x and y

direction:
Line of work force at horizontal direction:

It was found from the figure.

Line of work force at vertical direction can be found by summing

moments at the point of C (or other point)

where;
 From the Table :

Distance from point C to the center point (centroid) :

So that the value of xcp can be calculated;

The results can be summarized as follow:
Exercise
A drain channel of 6-m diameter, filled with water
at a half of depth. Determine the magnitude and
the coordinate of the resultant force given by
water at the circular arc of BC at 2-m long on the
channel wall.

3m
A B

C
HW (submit by 3 October 2018)

1. Determine the magnitude of force P that required to hold sluice gate of

4-meter width as shown in figure 1.
2. Calculate the force P necessary to hold the 5-m wide gate in the position
shown in the figure 2.

1m

3m

Figure 1 Figure 2