PRESSURE

CWEV201

Section 2
HYDROSTATICS
Hydrostatic Pressure

Fluid Properties
⚫ Density =
M
V
(
kg / m3 )
⚫ Specific weight
W
(
w =  g kN / m3
V
)
Mg a
= Sa = 
⚫ Relative density (SG)

V w
2

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 Density & SG – Typical values
⚫ Density of water: ρw = 1000 kg/m3 (@ 4ºC)

⚫ Specific weight of water: w = 1000 x 9,81

= 9810 N/m3

⚫ Density of mercury: ρm = 13 600 kg/m3

⚫ SG (relative density of mercury) = 13,6

Example 1.1
What is the density of mercury given that its specific
gravity = 13,6

Solution:
m
The specific gravity of mercury : SG m =
w
m
13,6 =
1000

The density of mercury:  m = 13,6  1000

= 13600 kg/m 3
4

2
 S/E Exercise 1
Fluid properties
1.3 weighing with mass

Force / pressure relationship

⚫ Force = Load (N or kN)

⚫ Pressure = Load intensity

i.e. the load per unit of contact area

⚫ Thus Pressure = Force/Area (N/m2 or kN /m2)

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 Hydrostatic Pressure

⚫ What is the pressure (p) at a point at a certain

depth (say h metres) below the surface of a liquid?

⚫ In short: it is equal to the weight (per unit of area)

of the liquid above that point

weight of column of liquid   g  Ah

p= area A
= = ρgh
A
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Hydrostatic pressure
⚫ Units: N/m2 or Pa
1 N/m2 = 1 Pa
1 kPa = 1 kN/m2
⚫ Hydrostatic pressure is multi-directional
⚫ Hydrostatic pressure can also be expressed as a head
E.g. at a depth of 2 m below the water surface the
head is said to equal to 2 m of water

This is equivalent to a pressure of = ρgh, where h is 2 m

= 1000 x 9,81 x 2 N/m2 or Pa
= 19,62 kPa

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Example 2.1
Calculate the pressure at a point 18 m below the surface of
the sea (Relative density of sea water = 1,02).

Solution:
The relative density sea water :  sw
SG sw =
w
 sw
1,02 =
1000
 sw = 1020 kg / m 3
Pressure: p =  sw  g  h
= 1020  9,81  18
= 180,1 kPa
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Example 2.2
(a) Calculate the head of water corresponding to a
pressure of 101 kPa.

(b) Calculate the corresponding head of mercury (Sm =

13,6).

Solution:
p =  w  g h
Head of water:
101  1000 = 1000  9,81  h
h = 10,296 m
Head of mercury: p = m  g h
101  1000 = (13,6  1000)  9,81  h
h = 0,757 m
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 Hydrostatic Pressure
⚫ Is a function of depth:

p=
ρgh

⚫ The hydrostatic pressure can therefore be

represented by triangle
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Hydrostatic Pressure
⚫ Is independent of the shape of the liquid body

⚫ Thus: pA = pB = pC = pD
⚫ In inter-connected liquid bodies the pressure
at all points on a horizontal line is the same
12

6
 Hydrostatic Pressure

The pressure at
depth h in small
reservoir

is the same as the

pressure at depth h
in a large dam

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S/E Exercise 2
Pressure Head

14

7
 Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure:
⚫ Atmospheric pressure ishthe
(mm) of mercury
pressure
(usually around 760 mm
exerted by the atmosphere
Hg)
Or
⚫ It is influenced by altitude
p = ρmgh

⚫ It is measured by means of= a13600 x 9,61 x 0,760

barometer
= 101,4 kPa

New unit of pressure: 1 bar = 100 kPa

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Barometers

16

8
 Atmospheric
pressure and
Altitude
This plastic bottle
was closed at
approximately
2,000 m altitude,
then brought back
to sea level. It was
crushed by air
pressure.

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Absolute & Gauge pressure

⚫ Absolute pressure takes its zero point
where there is no atmospheric pressure
(outer space)

⚫ Gauge pressure is pressure relative to

atmospheric pressure, and it therefore
takes its zero point at atmospheric
pressure

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9
 Absolute & Gauge pressure

patmosphere

pabsolute

pgauge

pabsolute = patmosphere + pgauge

19

Absolute & Gauge Pressure

A

5,0 m (say) 49 kPa

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE =
GAUGE PRESSURE ZERO -5,0 m (say)
15,3 m
-49 kPa
150 kPa B
10,3 m (say)
101 kPa 5,3 m
52 kPa

ABSOLUTE ZERO PRESSURE

ABSOLUTE PRESSURE = GAUGE PRESSURE +

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

20

10
 S/E Exercise 3
Atmospheric Pressure

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Pressure Measurement
Piezometer Manometer Bourdon gauge

⚫ Piezometer
ρ
⚫ Manometer
⚫ Bourdon ρm
gauge

pA = ρgh pA + ρgh – ρmghm = 0 Read pressure

pA = (ρmhm – ρh)g

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11
 Pressure measurement

Manometer & pressure

gauge
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Bourdon Gauge

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12
 ρ
Differential Manometer

ρm

pA + ρgh1 - ρm ghm - ρgh2 = pE

pA - pE = ρm g hm - ρg(h1 - h2)
= ρm g hm - ρg(hm)
= (ρm - ρ)hmg
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Example 4.1
A piezometer is used to measure the
pressure of oil (s = 0,64) in a pipe- line. If
the oil rises to a height of 1,2 m above the
centre of the pipe, what is the pressure at
that point in kPa?

Solution:
Pressure in pipeline, p:

p = oil  g  h
= (0,64  1000)  9,81  1,2 Pa
= 7,53 kPa
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Example 4.2
A U-tube manometer, containing
ρ
mercury, is used to measure the
pressure of water at A. Calculate
the absolute pressure at A when
the levels are as indicated on the
sketch. Take local atm. pressure
as 101,3 kPa. ρm
ρm = 13600 kg/m3
Solution
Pressure at A = pA:
p A gauge + (1  9,81  0,3) − (13,6  9,81  0,5) = 0
p A absolute = 63,765 + 1013
,
p A gauge = − 2,94 + 66,71
= 165,065 kPa = 63,765 kPa
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The End of Part A

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