ME 407 – Fluid Mechanics

Instructor
Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

Fluid Statics
Department of Mechatronics Engineering,
College of E&ME, NUST
2021

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Fun Facts

John Ninomiya flying a cluster of 72 helium-filled

balloons over Temecula, California in April of 2003. The
helium balloons displace approximately 230 m3 of air,
providing the necessary buoyant force. Don’t try this at
home!

World's largest iceberg continues to break up off the

coast of South Georgia. A68a became the world's largest
iceberg when it split from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf
in July 2017. As recently as April, it measured 2,000
square miles (5,100 square kilometers), or just over the
size of the state of Delaware.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Learning
RM-896: Objectives
Research Methodologies

• To determine pressure at various locations in a fluid at rest.

• Explain the concept of manometers and apply appropriate
equations to determine pressures.
• Calculate the hydrostatic pressure force on a plane or curved
submerged surface.
• Calculate the buoyant force and discuss the stability of floating
or submerged objects.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Introduction
RM-896: Research Methodologies

• Matter is normally classified as solid, liquid or gas.

• Solid – definite volume and shape
• Liquid – definite volume but no shape
• Unconfined gas – neither definite volume nor shape.
• To picture states of matter but somehow artificial (Asphalt or
plastics – over time tend to flow like liquids)
• A fluid – a collection of molecules randomly arranged and held
together by weak cohesive forces and by forces exerted by the
wall of a container.
• To understand new physical principles to explain
buoyant force on submerged object or dynamic lift
acting on a plane wing:
• Mechanics of fluids at rest – fluid statics.
• Mechanics of fluids in motion – fluid dynamics.
DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel
 Pressure
RM-896: Research Methodologies

• Pressure is defined as a normal force exerted by a fluid per unit

area.
• Pressure – when dealing with a gas or a liquid. Counterpart of
pressure in solids is normal stress.
• Pressure is defined as force per unit area
• Units – N/m2, engineering term as pascal (Pa)
1 Pa = 1 N/m2
• Pascal – too small for most pressures,
• kilopascal (1 kPa = 103 Pa) or megapascal (1 MPa = 106 Pa)

1 bar = 105 Pa = 0.1 MPa = 100 kPa

1 atm = 101,325 Pa = 101.325 kPa = 1.01325 bars
1 kgf/cm2 = 9.807 N/cm2 = 9.807 × 104 N/m2 = 9.807 × 104 Pa
= 0.9807 bar = 0.9679 atm
DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel
 Pressure
RM-896: Research Methodologies

• In English system, the pressure unit is pound-force per square

inch (lbf/in2, or psi), and 1 atm = 14.696 psi.
• Pressure units kgf/cm2 and lbf/in2 – also denoted by kg/cm2 and
lb/in2, respectively, and commonly used in tire gages.
1 kgf/cm2 = 14.223 psi.

• Pressure – used on solid surfaces as synonymous

to normal stress, which is the force acting
perpendicular to the surface per unit area.
• Explains how a person can walk on fresh snow without
sinking by wearing large snowshoes.
• How a person cuts with little effort when using a sharp
knife.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Pressure
RM-896: Research Methodologies
• Actual pressure at a given position is called the absolute pressure, and it is
measured relative to absolute vacuum (i.e., absolute zero pressure).
• Pressure-measuring devices – calibrated to read zero in the Atmosphere,
indicating the difference (gauge pressure) between absolute pressure and local
atmospheric pressure.
• Pgage can be positive or negative, but pressures below atmospheric pressure are
sometimes called vacuum pressures and are measured by vacuum gages

Pgage = Pabs − Patm

Pvac = Patm − Pabs
• Automobile tire reads the gage pressure. 32.0 psi (2.25 kgf/cm2) indicates a
pressure of 32.0 psi above the atmospheric pressure.
• Location where the atmospheric pressure is 14.3 psi, absolute pressure in the
tire is 32.0 + 14.3 = 46.3 psi.
• P will denote absolute pressure unless specified otherwise.
• “a” (for absolute pressure) and “g” (for gage pressure) are added to pressure
units (such as psia and psig)
DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel
 Example
RM-896: Research Methodologies
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 Pressure
RM-896: at Methodologies
Research a Point
• Question arises that how the pressure at a point varies with the orientation of the plane
passing through the point.
• Free body diagram – small triangular wedge of fluid from arbitrary location within fluid
mass.
• Considering no shearing stresses, the only external forces acting on the wedge are due to
the pressure and the weight.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Pressure
RM-896: at Methodologies
Research a Point
• Pressure must be multiplied by an appropriate area to obtain the force generated by the
pressure.

• Conclude that the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest, or in motion, is independent of

direction as long as there are no shearing stresses present. Pascal Law

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 RM-896:Pressure Field
Research Methodologies
• How does the pressure in a fluid in which there are no shearing stresses vary from point
to point?
• There are two types of forces acting on this element:
• surface forces due to the pressure and a
• body force equal to the weight of the element.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 RM-896:Pressure Field
Research Methodologies

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Pressure
RM-896: at Methodologies
Research a Point
• For a fluid at rest a = 0

• In component form

• Pressure doesn’t depend on x or y. As we move from point to point in horizontal plane

(any plane parallel to x-y plane), pressure doesn’t change. As p only depends on z.

• Fundamental equation for fluids at rest – used to determine pressure changes with
elevation.
• Pressure gradient in vertical direction is negative – pressure decrease
as we move upward in fluid at rest.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Incompressible
RM-896: Fluid
Research Methodologies
• Specific weight equals to – fluid density and acceleration of gravity. Changes
in γ are caused by either change in ρ or g.
• Fluid with constant density is called incompressible fluid.

• Where h is the distance, z2 – z1, which is depth of fluid measured downward

from location p2. Hydrostatic distribution.
• Pressure difference between two points can be specified by h.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Example
RM-896: Research Methodologies
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 Manomet
RM-896: Research ry
Methodologies
• Standard technique – in vertical or inclined tubes.
• Pressure measuring devices based on this technique manometers.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

 Example
RM-896: Research Methodologies
 Example
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 Manomet
RM-896: Research ry
Methodologies
• One leg of manometer is inclined at angle θ.

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel

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 THANK YOU !!!

DMTS – College of E&ME Dr. Anas Bin Aqeel