ET-6018: Fluid Mechanics

Lecture - II
FLUID STATICS

 Basics of fluid mechanics and continuum

concept.
 Different properties of fluid.
 Mathematical problems based on the
application of fluid properties.

Course Instructor

Rashique Iftekhar Rousseau

Assistant Professor (Research)
IET, CUET.
E-mail: iftekharrousseau@cuet.ac.bd
 Fluid Statics

INTRODUCTION
It is concerned with the balance of forces which stabilize fluids at rest. In the case of a liquid, as
the pressure largely changes according to its height, it is necessary to take its depth into account.
Furthermore, even in the case of relative rest (e.g. the case where the fluid is stable relative to its
vessel even when the vessel is rotating at high speed), the fluid can be regarded as being at rest if
the fluid movement is observed in terms of coordinates fixed upon the vessel.

SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO BE KEPT IN MIND

 No relative motion between the adjacent fluid layers.
 No velocity gradient, therefore shear stress will be zero.
 No effect of viscosity on fluids at rest, therefore ideal and real fluids behave in the same
way.
Forces acting on fluids at rest are due to
 Fluid pressure
 Gravity
*** Frictional force will be zero as there is no shear stress between the fluid layers.

PRESSURE
When a uniform pressure acts on a flat plate of area A and a force P pushes the plate, then
P
p=
A
In this case, p = pressure and P = pressure force. When the pressure is not uniform, the pressure
acting on the minute area DA is expressed by the following equation:

DP dP
p = lim =
DA�0 DA dA

The unit of pressure is the Pascal (Pa), but it is also expressed in bars or meters of water column
(mH2O).
TYPES OF PRESSURE

Figure: Absolute pressure, gauge pressure and gauge pressure.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRESSURE
PRESSURE VARIATION IN AN INCOMPRESSIBLE STATIC FLUID

At a point in a fluid, the pressure is equal in all directions. In a fluid at rest the pressure
intensities in a horizontal plane are equal. The variation will occur in vertical direction only.

Consider the equilibrium of forces on an infinitesimal fluid element as shown in figure. The
weight of the fluid element = g dxdydz [ g = specific weight of the fluid ]

From Newton’s second law, �F z =0

Therefore,
pdxdy - ( p + dp )dxdy - g dxdydz = 0
or, dpdxdy + g dxdydz = 0
dp
or, = -g (1)
dz

This equation is known as basic hydrostatic equation. In this equation z is measured in the
dp
upward direction. But if z is measured vertically downward, then = g = r g . From this
dz
equation it is evident that pressure can vary only in the z-direction. Let subscript 0 represents the
condition at the free surface.
Integrating equation (1),
patm = p0 z0
� dp = - �g dz
p z

or, patm - p = -g ( z0 - z )
or, p - patm = -g ( z0 - z )
or, p - patm = -g h
or, p = patm + g h [h = distance below the free surface]
So the pressure at any point in a static fluid is the summation of atmospheric pressure at the free
surface and the pressure due to distance of that point below the free surface. If the atmospheric
pressure is considered as zero of pressure scale, then p = g h

This pressure is the positive or gauge pressure which is above atmospheric pressure.

MANOMETRY

It is a pressure measuring technique using a device called manometer.

Manometer: These are devices that employ liquid columns for measuring the differences in
pressure. In manometers the basic principle is as follows.

“Pressure is equal at the same level for continuous column of a fluid.”

From the above figure, the points M and N are at the same elevation and are joined by the same
fluid, their corresponding pressures will be equal.

Thus for U-tube manometer,

pM = pA + g 1h1 and pN = patm + g 2 h2

Therefore, p A + g 1h1 = patm + g 2 h2

[since pM = pN ]
or, p A = patm + g 2 h2 - g 1h1

Again for differential manometer,

pM = p A - g 1h1 - g 2 h2 and pN = pB - g 3h3

Therefore, p A - g 1h1 - g 2 h2 = pB - g 3 h3
or, p A - pB = g 1h1 + g 2 h2 - g 3h3
BUOYANCY AND STABILITY

When a body is either wholly or partially immersed in a fluid, a lift (upward force) is generated
due to the net vertical component of hydrostatic pressure forces experienced by the body. This
lift is called the buoyant force and the phenomenon is called buoyancy. Consider a solid body of
arbitrary shape completely submerged in a homogeneous liquid as shown in Figure. Hydrostatic
pressure forces act on the entire surface of the body.

Magnitude of buoyant force = weight of liquid displaced by the body

Figure: Buoyant force on a submerged body.

The vertical forces acting on the two ends of such a prism of cross-section dA z (Figure) are
respectively
Therefore, the buoyant force (the net vertically upward force) acting on the elemental prism of
volume is -

Hence the buoyant force FB on the entire submerged body is obtained as

The buoyant force acts vertically upward through the centroid (center of gravity) of the
displaced fluid volume which is known as center of buoyancy.

 If buoyant force is greater than weight of the displaced liquid, the body will float.
 If buoyant force is smaller than weight of the displaced liquid, the body will sink down.

Equilibrium of Floating Bodies

1. Stable equilibrium: When a small angular displacement is given to a body floating in a liquid,
it returns back to its original position.
2. Unstable equilibrium: When a small angular displacement is given to a body floating in a
liquid, it does not return back to its original position and heels farther away.
3. Neutral equilibrium: When a small angular displacement is given to a body floating in a
liquid, it occupies a new position and remains at rest in this new position.

Metacentre (M): It may be defined as a point about which a floating body starts oscillating,
when given a small angular displacement.

Metacentric Height: It is the distance between the center of gravity (G) of the floating body and
the metacentre (M).
MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM