CE205IU: FLUID MECHANICS

LECTURE 3: FLUID STATICS

Dr. Pham Ngoc

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 Center of Mass
Actual Center of Mass (3D) This concept is derived from the fact
that a body has a center of
mass/gravity which interacts with
other bodies and that this force acts
on the center (equivalent force)
This concept is very useful in
calculating rotations, moment of
inertia, etc.

Proximate center of Area (2D)

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 Moment of Inertia
Moment of Inertia for mass

The moment of inertia is independent of the coordinate system

used for the calculation, but dependent on the location of axis of
rotation relative to the body.
Moment of Inertia for Area

Parallel Axis Theorem

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 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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 For fluids at rest we know that the force must be perpendicular
to the surface since there are no shearing stresses present

Resultant force does not

pass through the centroid
but is always below it,

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Geometric
property of some
common shapes

The point through

which the resultant
fluid force acts is
called the center of
pressure.

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 Example 3.1
The 4-m-diameter circular gate of Fig. below is located in the inclined
wall of a large reservoir containing water The gate is mounted on a
shaft along its horizontal diameter. For a water depth of 10 m above
the shaft determine:
1) the magnitude and location of the resultant force exerted on the
gate by the water, and
2) the moment that would have to be applied to the shaft to open the
gate

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 Pressure Prism
The pressure prism is a geometric representation of
the hydrostatic force on a plane surface.
The base of this “volume” in pressure-area
space is the plane surface of interest, and
its altitude at each point is the pressure

Pressure Prism for Vertical rectangular area

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plane surfaces that do not extend up to the fluid surface

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 What about inclined plane surfaces?
(All students works in class)

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 What does pressure prism look like if atmospheric
pressure on a submerged area is considered?

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 Hydrostatic Force on a Curved Surface

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 Hydrostatic force on a curved surface (section BC)

The resultant FR passes through the

point O, which can be located by
summing moments about an
appropriate axis

The development of a free-body

diagram of a suitable volume of
fluid can be used to determine
the resultant fluid force acting
on a curved surface

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 Example 3.2
The 6-ft-diameter drainage conduit of Fig. below is half full
of water at rest. Determine the magnitude and line of action
of the resultant force that the water exerts on a 1-ft length of
the curved section BC of the conduit wall.

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 Thank you for your listening!

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