Introduction to Mechanical Engineering: Fluid Mechanics

Tutorial 8 - Buoyancy Forces

1. A cylindrical steel drum 0.7m diameter floats upright in fresh water with the submerged end
0.5m below the surface. Find the hydrostatic force on the bottom of the drum. Hence deduce
the total mass of the drum and its contents.

Fh = ρgAh̄

π(0.7)2
⇒ Fh = 1000 × 9.81 × × 0.5
4
Answer:
Fh = 1.89kN
Buoyancy Force (weight of displaced fluid) is equal to the weight of the weight of the drum

V ρw g = mg

π(0.7)2
⇒ m = 0.5 × × 1000
4
Answer:
m = 192.42kg

2. A freshly opened bottle of wine (γ = 1.0) contains 750ml and is filled to a depth of 240mm on
its centre line. The inside diameter of the base is 70mm. Find the gauge pressure on the base
and the hydrostatic force on the base. Why is the hydrostatic force more than the weight of the
wine?

Pg = ρw gh = 1000 × 9.81 × 0.24

Answer:
⇒ Pg = 2.35kP a

Fh = ρgAh̄

π(0.07)2
⇒ Fh = 1000 × 9.81 × × 0.24
4
Answer:
Fh = 9.06N

W = V ρg = 0.75 × 10−3 × 1000 × 9.81

Answer:
⇒ W = 7.36N
3. How much of an iceberg (γ = 0.91) is visible when it floats in seawater (γ = 1.03)?

(V ρg)iceberg = (V ρg)displacedwater

Fraction of Iceberg under the water-line:

Vdisplacedwater 910
⇒ = = 0.8835
Viceberg 1030

Percentage above water-line:

Answer:
⇒ (1 − 0.8835) × 100 = 11.65%

4. A crane on an oil rig in the North Sea is lifting a 250tonne item of equipment from the deck of
a barge. The barge is 45m long by 10m wide at the water line. How far must the crane lift the
item before it is clear of the barge?

∆m = ∆V ρ = (l × w × ∆h) × ρ

∆m 250 × 103
⇒ ∆h = =
(l × w)ρ 45 × 10 × 1030
Answer:
⇒ ∆h = 0.54m