ME 3301: Fluid Mechanics I

(Week 4: Part 1)

Kamran Nazir
Department of Mechanical Engineering
National University of Technology

Spring 2021
Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Pressure at a Point
Variation of Pressure with Depth
Manometer and other Pressure Measuring Devices
Fluid Statics
Hydrostatic Forces on Submerged Plane Surfaces
Hydrostatic Forces on Submerged Curved Surfaces
Stability of Immersed and Floating Bodies
Fluids in Rigid-Body Motion
HYDROSTATIC FORCES ON PLANE
SURFACES
• On a plane surface, the hydrostatic forces form a system of parallel forces
• For many applications, magnitude and location of application, which is called
center of pressure, must be determined.
• Atmospheric pressure Patm can be neglected when it acts on both sides of the
surface.
HYDROSTATIC FORCES ON SUBMERGED PLANE
SURFACES

First Moment
of Area
A
Line of Action of the Resultant Force
• The magnitude of FR acting on a plane surface of a completely submerged plate
in a homogenous fluid is equal to the product of the pressure PC at the centroid
of the surface and the area A of the surface
• Line of action of resultant force FR=PCA does not pass through the centroid of
the surface. In general, it lies underneath where the pressure is higher.
• Vertical location of Center of Pressure is determined by equation the moment
of the resultant force to the moment of the distributed pressure force.

Second Moment
of Area
Line of Action of the Resultant Force
• The second moment of area is widely available for many shapes but given about
the axes passing through the centroid of the area
• The second moments of area about two parallel axes are related to each other
by the parallel axis theorem
C

• Using A, B and C equations, we will have

For Po = 0
Centroid and Moment of Inertia
 Quiz # 1 Time Allowed: 30 mins
Total Marks: 10

Answer the following short Questions. Each question carry equal marks.

1) What is cavitation? What causes it?

2) What is specific gravity? How is it related to density?
3) Consider a soap bubble. Is the pressure inside the bubble higher or lower than
the pressure outside?
4) What is the no-slip condition? What causes it?
5) What is forced flow? How does it differ from natural flow? Is flow caused by
winds forced or natural flow?