Soran University

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Petroleum Engineering

Fluid Mechanic

Title: Hydrostatic Pressure

Experiment No: 02
Name: Muhammed Star Braim
Group: A1
Date: 9 Oct 2019
Supervisor: Mr. Shahab
Contents
Aim ............................................................................................................................................................... 1
Theory .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Apparatus .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Materials .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Equipment ............................................................................................................................................... 2
...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Calibration ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Procedure ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Calculation ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Result and discussion .................................................................................................................................. 6
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Reference ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

List of Figures

Figure 1: Water vessel .................................................................................................................................. 2

Figure 2: weights........................................................................................................................................... 2

List of Tables

Table 1: result ............................................................................................................................................... 6

Aim
The aim of this experiment is to find the force act on the submerged surface, and
determine the center of pressure.

Theory
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at rest due to the weight of fluid
above the surface. Hydrostatic pressure and its resulting force have a wide variety of applications.
These applications are as widespread as assembly line processes of soil properties. Thus, it is
important to be able to measure and develop equations for hydrostatic force due to pressure as well
as the center of pressure at which this force acts, and The center of pressure is the point where the
total sum of a pressure field acts on a body, causing a force to act through that point (Mohanty,
1994). the device used to measure hydrostatic is water vessel (FM-1849-04), which is used to
measure the moment due to the fluid (hydrostatic) thrust on a fully or partially submerged plane.
The plane works in either a vertical or inclined (angled) position. The equipment consists of a
vertical panel that holds a clear plastic quadrant, the quadrant has lines to keep the plane in a
vertical or angled position. The cylindrical sides of the quadrant have their central axis coincidental
with the moment measurement axis. The total fluid pressures on these curved surfaces therefore
exert no moment about this pivot. Therefore, the moment is only due to the fluid pressure on the
plane test surface (Yunus, 2010). When known masses are applied to the end of the system, the
pivot rotates. In order to balance the moment caused by the weight of the masses and return the
pivot to equilibrium, water is added into the chamber of the pressure system. When a surface is
submerged in a fluid, forces developed on the surface due to the fluid. For fluid at rest, the force
must act perpendicular to the submerged surface. Pressure will also increase as the depth increased.
For water (liquid), the pressure will increase linearly with increasing depth. The resultant force on
the submerged surface will act through the center of pressure and not through the centroid. (Folley,
2016).

1
Apparatus

Materials
Water

Equipment
Water vessel

Weights

Figure 1: Water vessel Figure 2: weights

Calibration
Pour the water until the angle of water level in 90° to the water vessel be balance

2
Procedure
A. Calibrate the water vessel
B. Add the weight to water vessel
C. Pour the water into the water vessel
D. Record the high of water level
E. Add the weight to water vessel again
F. Pour the water into the water vessel again
G. Record the high of water level
H. Add the weight to water vessel again
I. Pour the water into the water vessel again
J. Record the high of water level
K. Calculate the calculation to find the force act on the submerged surface, and determine the
center of pressure.

3
Calculation

4
5
Result and discussion

Table 1: result

Ɵ = 90°
No Level Arm A. Weight Water level R. Force hp theory hp practice Error
(m) (kg) (m) (N) (m) (m)
1 0.25 0.05 0.09 3.973 0.06 0.118 % 96.6
2 0.25 0.1 0.105 5.3955 0.07 0.148 %111.4
3 0.25 0.2 0.122 7.063 0.0835 0.154 % 84.4

The based on the result, have some differential on the center of pressure between theoretical and
experimental data because of errors, the errors are the experimental high of water is lower than
theoretical high because the weights is not accurate, and the records may be wrong, and the water
is not freshwater, the used water is denser than freshwater.

Conclusion
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at rest due to the weight of fluid
above the surface, The center of pressure is the point where the total sum of a pressure field acts
on a body, causing a force to act through that point, and his experiment used different formulas to
ensure that the theory and the practical use match. The following principles were theoretical
learned and practically proved, the higher the water level rises, the shorter the distance between
line of action and the pivot became, therefore shortening the lever that had to oppose the opposing
moment on the balancing arm, the only feasible response to keeping the system in equilibrium
would be for the force to increase.

6
Reference
Folley, M. ed. (2016), Numerical modelling of wave energy converters: state-of-the-art techniques
for single devices and arrays, Academic Press.

Mohanty, A.K. (1994), Fluid Mechanics, PHI Learning

Yunus, A.C. (2010), Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications (Si Units), Tata McGraw
Hill Education Private Limited.