Hydrostatic Forces on Curved, Submerged Surfaces

x
Pz

Px
Z

dA =dAcos()
x

Pressure is always acting

perpendicular to the solid surface
since there is no shear motion in
static condition.

r
r
r
P=Pcos( ) i+Psin( )j
Integrate over the entire surface
r
r
r r
dF=dFx i dFz j PdA
r
r
(Pcos( ) i+Psin( )j)dA
dFx PdA cos( ) PdAx
dFz PdA sin( ) PdAz

dAz=dAsin()

Projected Forces
dFx PdA cos( ) PdAx , dFZ PdA sin( ) PdAZ
Integrate over the entire surface:
Fx dFx PdAx ghdAx , Fz dFz PdAz ghdAz

where is the fluid volume enclosed

h
dAz

Fz g hdAz g

Integrated over
all elements

between the curved surface and the

free surface. The force is equal to the
weight of the total colume of fluid
directly above the curved surface.
The line action passes through the
center of gravity of the volume
of liquid being displaced.

Buoyancy

Force acting down FD= gV1

from
Buoyancy = FU-FD
=g(V2-V1)=gV
V: volume occupied by the object
Force acting up FU = gV2
from

Horizontal Forces
x
Fx dFx PdAx ghdAx

h
Projected
area Ax

dAz

Integrated over
all elements

Finding Fx is to determine the force acting

on a plane submerged surface oriented
perpendicular to the surface. Ax is the
projection of the curved surface on the yz
plane. Similar conclusion can be made to
the force in the y direction Fy.

h
dAx
Equivalent system:
A plane surface perpendicular
to the free surface

Fx dFx PdAx ghdAx

Examples
Determine the magnitude of the resultant force acting on the hemispherical surface.
x
2m

R=0.5 m

Fx PdAx g ydAx ghC Ax

A x is the projection of the sphere along the x direction
and it has a shape of a circle A x = (0.5) 2 0.785( m 2 )
Fx (1000)(9.8)(2)(0.785) 15386( N )
Fz PdAz g zdAz g g ( )

(1000)(9.8) 1
z

4 R 3 2564( N )
2
3

r
r
r
r
r
F Fx i Fz k 15386i 2564k
equals

minus

The line of action of the force

must go through the center of the
hemisphere, O (why?)

Line of Action
Horizontal direction: line of action goes through z

R
I xx
4
z ' zC
(2)
AzC
R 2 (2)
4

zC

Projection
in x-direction

2.03125( m)
Vertical direction: the line of action is 3R/8
away from the center of the hemisphere

The resultant moment of both forces with respect to the

center of the hemisphere should be zero:
Fx(2.03125-2)-Fz(0.1875)
=15386(0.03125)-2564(0.1875)=0

location of the centroid for a hemisphere

is 3R/8=0.1875(m) away from the equator plane