Fluid statics

Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Lecture 4

September 9, 2015
Dr. Kelly Kibler

Fluid statics- Lecture outline

1
2
3
4

Introduction to fluid statics

Pressure
Pressure measurement
Hydrostatic forces
a) on submerged plane surfaces
b) on submerged curved surfaces

5 Buoyancy and stability

6 Fluids in rigid-body motion

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Introduction to fluid statics

Fluid statics deals with stationary
fluids (at rest, not moving).
Because fluid is not moving, there is
no relative motion between fluid
layers; thus, no shear stress.
In statics, we are only concerned with
the normal stress, which is pressure.

Hydrostatics are used to analyze

forces on dams.
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

The normal stress and shear stress

at the surface of a fluid element.
For fluids at rest, the shear stress
is zero and pressure is the only
normal stress.
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Pressure basics
Pressure (P) is a normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area
SI units

1 Pa = 1 Nm-2

other common units

=
=

1 bar = 100 kPa

1 atm = 101.325 kPa
760 mm Hg = 1 atm

English units

psi (1 atm = 14.696 psi)

Absolute, gauge, and vacuum pressure are related.

Pressure is scalar; at any

point in a fluid, pressure is
the same from all directions.

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure basics
Pressure in a static fluid increases linearly with depth

As depth increases, more fluid rests on the deeper layers extra weight
increases the pressure at depth*
= 1 2 = 1 2 = 1 2 =
= + g = +
If above point is at a free surface (where the
pressure is atmospheric), relationship simplifies to:
= +
=

To note:
Pabove= atm
Difference in pressure between two points is
h
proportional to h and the density of the fluid;
Greater h greater P
Pbelow= atm +gh Greater greater P
(think about pressure changes in air vs. water)
*assuming constant density of fluid
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure basics

Under hydrostatic conditions, the pressure at a given depth is

the same everywhere within the same fluid.
Why is the PHPI?
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure basics
Pascals law: pressure applied to a confined
fluid increases pressure equivalently
throughout.
1 = 2

1 2
2 2

=
1 2
1 1

Application:
A small force applied to small area can
exert a large force over a larger area
when the two areas are hydraulically
connected
Example: hydraulic lift

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure measurement

Barometer
Used to measure atmospheric conditions
760 mm Hg = 1 atm = 101.325 kPa
Dimensions of tube (height, diameter) have no effect on reading (as
long as tube is large enough to avoid capillary effects
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure measurement
Manometer
Used to measure small pressure differences.
Orange section is manometer fluid- could be
water, oil, air, mercury, ect.
Manometer fluid :
must be a different fluid than in the tank.
cannot mix with tank fluid- the two fluids
must be immiscible.
must be denser than working fluid.
How it works:
Pressure at 1 is pressure of the tank.
Because elevation of 1 and 2 are equal, the
pressure at 1 = pressure at 2.
Pressure at top of h is atmospheric.
= 1 = 2 = +
is density of manometer fluid.
Diameter of the tube should be large enough to
avoid capillary rise.
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Pressure measurement
Computing pressure difference across
multiple immiscible static fluids:
Start at a point of known pressure (like
a free surface)
Add or subtract gh terms as you
move towards the point of interest:

1 = + 1 1 + 2 2 + 3 3

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

10

Hydrostatic forces on a plane

Submerged objects are subject to fluid
pressure, which varies with depth.
We often wish to know the magnitude of
hydrostatic force and where it acts (center
of pressure).

Because atmospheric pressure

acts on both sides of the plane, we
may remove it and work in gauge
pressure.

=
= +

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

Magnitude of force is given by pressure area

of the object
But pressure varies with depth- which
pressure do we use?
Compute pressure at the objects centroid (Pc).
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Hydrostatic forces on a plane

Line of action of resultant force acts
at the center of pressure (not
necessarily at the centroid).
Location of the center of pressure is
derived by setting the moment of
the resultant force equal to the
moment of the distributed pressure
force, using a moment of inertia
around the centroid (applying the
parallel axis theorem to move it to
the center of pressure).
= +

= sin
= distance to center of pressure from 0
= distance to centroid from 0
, =second moment of area passing through the centroid
=depth to center of pressure
Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

12

Hydrostatic forces on a plane

Consider a rectangular plane (height b,
width a), tilted at , top edge is distance s
from a free surface.

= = + ( + 2) sin ab

= + +
2

+ +
12 2sin

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

13

Hydrostatic forces on a plane

Consider a vertical rectangular plane
(height b, width a), top edge is distance s
from a free surface.

= = + ( + 2) ab
If s=0 and we disregard P0:
=

2
2

2
= =
3

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

14

Hydrostatic forces on a plane

Consider a horizontal rectangular plane
surface (height b, width a), distance h from
a free surface.
= + ab
FR acts at centroid of the plate

Engineering Fluid Mechanics- Fluid statics

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