FLUID MECHANICS

FLUID STATICS

Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this lecture, you will be
able to:

determine the 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

Analyze the rigid-body motion of fluids in containers during linear

acceleration or rotation

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2.1 What is Fluid Statics?

deals with problems associated with fluids at
rest.
used to determine the forces acting on floating
or submerged bodies and the forces
developed by devices like hydraulic presses
and car jacks.

Hydrostatics when the fluid is a liquid.

Aerostatic when the fluid is a gas.
The only stress in fluid statics is the normal stress.
The variation of pressure is only due to the weight of
the fluid.

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2.2 Pressure
Pressure is defined as
normal force exerted
by a fluid per unit
area.
1 Pa = 1 N/m2
Figure 2.1

1 bar = 105 Pa = 0.1 MPa = 100 kPa

1 atm = 101325 Pa = 101.35 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
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2.3 Scalar Quantity

Pressure is a scalar quantity, and it is the same in
all direction at a point (Pascal Law)

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2.4 Pascal Law

Figure 2.2 Infinitesimal fluid element

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2.4 Pascal Law

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2.5 No-Shear Stress element

Figure 2.3 Surface and body forces acting on small fluid element.
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2.5 No-Shear Stress element

This is the resultant surface force acting on a small fluid element which
depends only on the pressure gradient if there are no shearing stresses
present.
(pressure gradient)

(the gradient vector operator)

(the resultant force per unit volume)

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2.5 No-Shear Stress element

The weight of the fluid in z-axis direction is given by

The negative sign indicates it acts downward.

From Newtons second law of motion

Element acceleration
Element mass
Resultant force acting on the element

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2.5 No-Shear Stress element

The total force is given by

General Equation for the motion

of fluid without shearing stress

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2.5.1 Pressure variation in a Fluid at rest

(General Equation)

when a = 0 then

or in component form

Indicating that the pressure does not depend on x or y,

thus z-point on x-y plane is considered.

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2.5.1 Incompressible Fluid

Figure 2.4 Hydrostatics Pressure Distribution.

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Example 2.1
Because of a leak in a buried gasoline storage tank, water has
seeped in to the depth shown in Figure E2.1. The specific gravity of
the gasoline is SG=0.68. Determine the gauge and absolute
pressures at
a) Gasoline-water interface
b) Bottom of the tank

5.0 m

0.5 m
Figure E2.1
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Example 2.2
Calculate the elevation difference, between the water levels in the
two open tanks shown in Figure E2.2

Figure E2.2
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Exercise 2.1
The 500-kg load on the hydraulic lift shown in Figure P2.1
raised by pouring oil of density 780 kg/m3 into a thin tube.
Determine how high h should be in order to begin to raise the
weight. Answer h = 56.7 cm

Figure P2.1
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Exercise 2.1
Calculate the gage pressures in chambers A and B shown in
Figure P2.2. The fluid in both chambers are the same and
separated by a piston of 50 N. Answer h = 56.7 cm

Figure P2.2
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2.6 Manometer
Piezometer Tube

U-Tube Manometer

Inclined-Tube Manometer
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2.6 Manometer

Simple but

Suitable only if PA > Patm, else air would be

sucked into the system

The pressure to be measured must be

relatively small so the required height of the
column is reasonable.

The fluid in the container inwhich the

pressure is to be measured must be a liquid
rather than a gas

Piezometer Tube
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2.6 Manometer
Fluid can be different from the fluid in the container in
which the pressure is to be determined.
Use to measure pressure between two points.

U-Tube Manometer
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2.6 Manometer
Find the Pressure Gage

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2.6 Manometer
Differential U-tube manometer

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For relatively small angle

2.6 Manometer
Inclined-Tube Manometer
Used for small pressure difference

For relatively small angle

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For relatively small angle

2.6 Manometer
Find the differential pressure of the system below

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2.6 Manometer
P1 P2
P2 Patm gh

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An elevation change of Dz in
a fluid at rest corresponds to
DP/g.
A device based on this is
called a manometer.
A manometer consists of a Utube containing one or more
fluids such as mercury, water,
alcohol, or oil.
Heavy fluids such as mercury
are used if large pressure
differences are anticipated.

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2.6 Manometer
For multi-fluid systems
Pressure change across a fluid
column of height h is DP = gh.
Pressure increases downward, and
decreases upward.
Two points at the same elevation in a
continuous fluid are at the same
pressure.
Pressure can be determined by
adding and subtracting gh terms.
This measures the gauge pressure!
Absolute pressure ?

P2 1 g h1 2 g h 2 3 g h 3 P1
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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

Force exerted by static fluid on a surface when submerged in it

Since there are no shearing stress present, the only force acting on the
surface is Normal Force.

For incompressible fluid, pressure increases linearly with depth.

The Forces involved are important for the design of storage tanks, ships,
dams, and other hydraulic structures.

Pressure distribution and resultant hydrostatic

force on the bottom of an open tank. FR = pA
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Pressure distribution on the ends of an open

tank.
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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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2.7 Hydrostatic Force on a Plane Surface

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Example 2.3
A 4-m-high, 5-m-wide rectangular plate blocks the end
of a 4-m-deep freshwater channel, as shown. The
plate is hinged about a horizontal axis along its upper
edge through a point A and is restrained from opening by
a fixed ridge at point B. Determine the force exerted
on the plate by the ridge

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Exercise 2.2
The two sides of a V-shaped water trough are hinged to each
other at the bottom where they meet, as shown, making an
angle of 45 with the ground from both sides. Each side is
0.75 m wide, and the two parts are held together by a
cable and turnbuckle placed every 6 m along the length of
the trough. Calculate the tension in each cable. when the trough
is filled to the rim.

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Example 2.4
The 4-m-diameter circular gate shown in Figure is located in the
inclined wall of a large reservoir containing water The gate is
mounted on a shaft along its horizontal diameter, and the water
depth is 10 m above the shaft

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Exercise 2.3

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2.8 Hydrostatic Force on a Curve Surface

Fv

FH

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FR on a curved surface is
more involved since it
requires integration of the
pressure forces that change
direction along the surface.
Easiest approach is
determine horizontal and
vertical components FH and
FV separately.

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2.8 Hydrostatic Force on a Curve Surface

F2 FH 0
FH F2

FV F1 W 0
FV F1 W
where

F1 hc A
W Vg
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Example 2.5
The water side of the wall of a 100-m-long dam
is a quarter circle with a radius of 10 m.
Determine the hydrostatic force on the dam
and its line of action when the dam is filled to the
rim.

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Example 2.5
Solution
The horizontal Force FH on Vertical
Surface

R
RL
FH Pave A
2
LR 2
FH
49.05MN
2
The vertical Force FH on the horizontal
surface since it coincides with the free
surface

Free Body Diagram

FR FH2 FV2 91.3MN

FV W mg Vg

The line of action of the hydrostatic

force passes through the center of the
curvature of the dam, making 57.5
downwards from the horizontal.
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R 2
L 77.05 MN
FV g
4

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2.9 Buoyancy
Buoyancy is due to the fluid
displaced by a body.
FB= mg = fgV.
Archimedes
principle:
The buoyant force acting
on a body immersed in a
fluid is equal to the weight
of the fluid displaced by the
body, and it acts upward
through the centroid of the
displaced volume.
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2.9 Buoyancy

Buoyancy force FB is equal only to the

displaced volume fgVdisplaced.
Three scenarios possible

1. body<fluid: Floating body

2. body=fluid: Neutrally buoyant
3. body>fluid: Sinking body
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2.9 Buoyancy

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2.9 Buoyancy

weight of the dashed fluid

Total volume of the parallelepiped

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2.9 Buoyancy

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2.9 Buoyancy

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Example 2.6
The 0.2 kg lead fish sinker shown in
Figure (a) is attached to a fishing
line as shown in Figure (b) The
specific gravity of the sinker is
SGsinker = 11.3. Determine the
difference between the tension in
the line above and below the sinker

Figure (a)
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Figure (b)
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Example 2.6
A 1-m-diameter cylindrical mass, M, is connected
to a 2-m-wide rectangular gate as shown. The
gate is to open when the water level, h, drops
below 2.5 m. Determine the required value for M.
Neglect friction at the gate hinge and the pulley.

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