FLUID

MECHANICS
 Pressure

• A normal force exerted by a

fluid per unit area.
• Unit: N/m2 which is called a
pascal (Pa)
• The pressure on the feet of a
chubby person is much
greater than on the feet of a
slim person.
 Types of Pressure
Absolute pressure
• The actual pressure at a given position
• It is measured relative to absolute vacuum
(i.e., absolute zero pressure).
• Pabs = Patm - Pvac
Gauge pressure
• The difference between the absolute
pressure and the local atmospheric
pressure.
• Pgage = Pabs-Patm
Vacuum pressure
• Pressures below atmospheric pressure
4
 Class Activity

• A vacuum gage connected to a

chamber reads 5.8 psi at a location
where the atmospheric pressure is
14.5 psi. Determine the absolute
pressure in the chamber.

• Answer = 8.7 psi

 Fluid Pressure at a Point

• Pressure is a scalar quantity,

not a vector; the pressure at a
point in a fluid is the same in all
directions.
• Pascal’s law
• "The intensity of pressure at any
point in a fluid at rest, is the
same in all direction."
 Hydrostatic law

• Pressure difference between two points in a constant

density fluid is proportional to the vertical distance between
the points and the density of the fluid.

• P = ρg Z
• Z = P/ ρg

• Z is known as pressure head

 Measurement of Pressure

Manometers
Simple manometers
Differential manometers
Mechanical gauges
Diaphragm gauge
Bourdon tube pressure gauge
Dead weight pressure gauge
Bellows pressure gauge
 Simple manometers

Manometer is an instrument for measuring the pressure of a

fluid, consisting of a tube filled with a liquid, the level of the
liquid being determined by the fluid pressure and the height of
the liquid being indicated on a scale.
A simple manometer consists of a glass tube having one end
connected to the point where pressure is determined and other
end is open to the atmosphere.
• Piezometer
• U-tube manometer
• Single column manometer
 Piezometer

To measure liquid

pressure in a system by
measuring the height to
which a column of the
liquid rises against gravity.
U-tube manometer