Mechanical Engineering Department

Thermo-Fluid Lap ME-322

Lab Report for Experiment No.: 2
Experiment Title: Center of Pressure

Individual Report / Group Report 2

Submission Date:2/8/2021

Student Name(s) Student ID Number(s)

Ahmed AlTuwaijiy 437041010

Fahad AlHarbi 439013770

Hamzah AlNafissah 439025635

Sultan AlDraiweesh 439012449

Lab Instructor: Dr. Murugesan Palaniappan

 Table of Contents
Abstract/Objective: ................................................................................................................................ 2
Theory & Method: ................................................................................................................................. 2
Experiment Procedure:........................................................................................................................... 3
Data & Results ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Discussion: ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Conclusions: ........................................................................................................................................... 6
References ............................................................................................................................................. 7

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
Abstract/Objective:
To understand Hydrostatic pressure and find center of pressure.

Theory & Method:

This experiment helps us to understand the effect of hydrostatic force on a gate of different
shapes in our experiment it shows the affect in curved panel plane gate (Figure 1). The hydrostatic
force is caused by pressure called the center of pressure and the location of act of hydrostatic force
called the center of pressure, the theoretical way to calculate the pressure and the center of pressure:

Pressure at centroid:

P=γh (1)

where:

P = Pressure at centroid (Kpa).

γ = is the specific wight of water (N /mm3).
h = is the height from the surface to the centroid of the gate in milliammeter.

Hydrostatic force:

Fp = P A (2)

where:

Fp = Hydrostatic force (N).

P = is the pressure at the centroid (Kpa).
A = is the area of the gate (mm2).

The center of pressure the point that the hydrostatic force affect:

I
Ycp = ȳ + (3)
ŷA

where:

ŷ = is the high from the centroid of panel gate to the surface (mm).

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
 I = is the moment of inertia of the gate (mm4).

To calculate lever arm:

ID= 200 − 𝑠 + 𝑦𝑐𝑝 (4)

where:

s = Water level reading (mm).

To calculate 𝑦𝑐𝑝 and resultant force (Fp) for s < 100:

2
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 3 𝑠 (5)

1
Fp= 2 𝜌𝑔𝑏𝑠 2 (6)

To calculate 𝑦𝑐𝑝 and resultant force (Fp) for s > 100:

𝑧 𝑧2
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 𝑠 − 2 + 𝑧 (7)
12(𝑠− )
2

𝑧
Fp= 𝜌𝑔 (𝑠 − 2) + 𝑏𝑧 (8)

In (Figure 2) it shows the force and dimension from panel to surface in clearly way.

Figure 1 (The resultant Force and where it’s act) Figure 2 (Force on a panel)

Experiment Procedure:
➢ Set the water vessel (1) to an angle of a =0° using the detent (2). Shown in (figure 3).

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
 ➢ Mount the rider (6), set the lever arm on the scale (e.g. l=150 mm).
➢ Counterbalance the unit with a rotating slider (3): The stop pin (4) must be precisely in the
middle of the hole for this.
➢ Performing the Measurement: Top up with water until the unit is balanced (stop pin (4) at center
of hole)
➢ Determining the Centre of Pressure: At a water level s, below the 100 mm mark, the height of
the active surface changes with the water level. If the water level is above that mark, the height
of the active surface is always 100 mm.
➢ Increase the appended weights (7) in increments of 0.5-1 N and repeat the measurement.

Figure 3 (HM-150.7 Flow measurement panel)

Data & Results

Given data:

B = 75 mm = 0.075 m.
z = 100 mm = 0.1 m.
g = 9.81 m/s2
𝜌= 1000 kg/m3

Calculations:

For s<100 (s=78 mm):

2 2
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 3 𝑠 = 3 (78𝑚𝑚) = 52𝑚𝑚

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
 ID= 200 − 𝑠 + 𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 200 − 78 + 52 = 174𝑚𝑚

1 1 𝑘𝑔 𝑚
Fp= 2 𝜌𝑔𝑏𝑠 2 = 2 (1000 𝑚3 ) (9.81 𝑠2 ) (0.075𝑚)(0.078𝑚)2 = 2.2382𝑁

Moment due to wight and lever = (250 mm)*(1.5N) = 375 N.mm

Moment due to Fp= (174 mm)*(2.2382 N) = 389.45 N.mm

375−389.45
%error = ( ) ∗ 100 = 3.85%
375

For s > 100 (s=103 mm):

𝑧 𝑧2 100𝑚𝑚 (100𝑚𝑚)2
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 𝑠 − 2 + 𝑧 = 113𝑚𝑚 − 2
+ 100𝑚𝑚 = 68.72327044𝑚𝑚
12(𝑠− ) 12(113𝑚𝑚− )
2 2

ID= 200 − 𝑠 + 𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 200 − 103 + 68.72327044 = 165.7232704𝑚𝑚

𝑧 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔 0.1𝑚
Fp= 𝜌𝑔 (𝑠 − 2) + 𝑏𝑧 = = (1000 𝑚3 ) (9.81 𝑚3 ) (0.113𝑚 − ) + (0.075𝑚)(0.1𝑚) =
2

3.8995𝑁

Moment due to wight and lever = (250 mm)*(2.5N) = 625 N.mm

Moment due to Fp= (174 mm)*( 3.8995𝑁) = 646.34 N.mm

625−646.34
%error = ( ) ∗ 100 = 3.41%
625

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
Lever Appended Water Cp from free surface Calc. lever Resultant force FP Moment Moment %error
arm weight level ycp=ӯ+I/(ӯ*A) arm ID (N) due to due to
(mm) (N) reading (mm) (mm) FP=P*A weight Fp
s (mm) and (N.mm)

lever
(N.mm)
For s<100 For s>100 For For s>100
s<100
ycp=s*2/3 (s-50) 200-s+ycp (pgs/2) pg(s-50)
+(ℎ2 /12(s- *(sb) *100*b
50))
250 1.5 78 52 174 2.2382 375 389.45 3.85
250 2.5 103 68.72327044 165.7232704 3.8995 625 646.34 3.41
250 3.5 124 89.72327044 165.7232704 5.4446 875 902.30 3.12
250 4.5 148 113.7232704 165.7232704 7.2103 1125 1194.91 6.21
Table 1 (Center of pressure)

Discussion:
We note in the experiment that the more water we add the more wight we need to establish the
equilibrium the balance at center hole, and most of our results showed that water level is s>100mm to
establish the equilibrium.

Conclusions:
The proposed method was to evaluate the clockwise and counterclockwise moments and see if
they were equal. For the results although the two moments are not perfectly equal, the percentage
difference between them is less than 1% which is quite small. For the first two sets of readings the
error should be smaller still and it is likely that the larger error is due to improper balancing of the
apparatus while performing the procedure. The last two readings show very small %age error which
indicates that the two moments are in fact almost equal. This proves that the equations for F, and 𝑦𝑐𝑝
as derived in the theory are correct. Although we considered the weight of the vessel and
counterbalanced it, we did not include the weight of the water itself. The reason for this is the special
quarter ring shape of the vessel. The weight of the water can be broken into two components, one
radial, the other tangential. Since the line of action of the radial component passes through the center
of rotation A, it cannot produce any moment. That leaves only the tangential component and it turns

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322
out that this component of the weight of water is the same as the pressure force Fp. Therefore, there is
no need to account for the weight of the water in our calculations and this is only possible due to the
quarter ring shape. If the shape was different, the tangential component and Fp would not be the same
and our equation would be incorrect.

References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkco6QTuQIE

https://units.imamu.edu.sa/colleges/en/Engineering/studyprograms/Documents/ME%20Lab%20Manuals/Man
ual%20Thermo-Fluid%20Lab.pdf

https://mathalino.com/reviewer/fluid-mechanics-and-hydraulics/total-hydrostatic-force-plane-and-curved-
surfaces

For Official Use Only:

Sub-title No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total

CLO Focused:

SO-KPI Focused

Max. Points:

Points Obtained:

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Thermo-Fluid Lab ME-322