Chapter 3

FLUID STATICS
Outline of Chapter 3
 Hydrostatic forces
Turbine
Energy conversion Hydrostatic uplift
Bernoulli equation
What does Static Fluid
mean?
The word statics is derived from Greek word statikos=
motionless

Statics means that the fluid is not moving, i.e.,

its
velocity =0; and its acceleration = 0.

Fluid velocity = 0 means that it does not flow.

If a static fluid does not flow, how much shear

stress the fluid is exposed to?
What does Static Fluid
mean?
In this case, fluid can be exposed to
only normal forces and behaves as

a rigid body no deformation

The Basic Equations
of Fluid Statics
Newtons 2nd law:

Divide both sides d by gives:

The Basic Equations of Fluid
Statics
Surface Force
z

x
The Basic Equations of
Fluid Statics

Body Force
 Surface Force
 Total Force
 Newtons Second Law
Pascals Laws
Pascals laws:
Pressure acts uniformly in all directions
on a small volume (point) of a fluid
In a fluid confined by solid boundaries,
pressure acts perpendicular to the
boundary it is a normal force.

Fluid statics Chee 223 2.22

Direction of fluid pressure on
boundaries

Furnace duct Pipe or tube

Heat exchanger

Pressure is a Normal Force

(acts perpendicular to
surfaces)
It is also called a Surface
Dam Force
Absolute and Gauge
Pressure
Absolute pressure: The pressure of a fluid is
expressed relative to that of vacuum (=0)

Gauge pressure: Pressure expressed as the

difference between the pressure of the fluid and
that of the surrounding atmosphere.

Usual pressure guages record guage pressure. To

calculate absolute pressure:

Pabs Patm Pgauge

Units for Pressure
Unit Definition or
Relationship
1 pascal (Pa) 1 kg m-1 s-2
1 bar 1 x 105 Pa
1 atmosphere (atm) 101,325 Pa
1 torr 1 / 760 atm
760 mm Hg 1 atm
14.696 pounds per 1 atm
sq. in. (psi)
Pressure Variation in a
Static Fluid
Reference
level and
pressure

Location and
pressure of
interest
Measurement of
Pressure
Manometers are devices in which
one or more columns of a liquid are
used to determine the pressure
difference between two points.
U-tube manometer
Inclined-tube manometer
a
Pb(ab)
gR
m
Measurement of Pressure
Differences
Apply the basic equation of static fluids to
both legs of manometer, realizing that P2=P3.

P2 Pa b g ( Z m Rm )
P3 Pb b g ( Z m ) a gRm
 a
Pb
gRab)sin
1(
Inclined Manometer
To measure small pressure differences need to
magnify Rm some way.
Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces

In order to fully determine the force on a surface

submerged in a liquid, we must determine the
following:

1. The magnitude of the force;

2. The direction of the force; and
3. The line of action of the force.
1. Direction of the Force
on a Plane Submerged
Surface
Since fluid is not moving (static), there is no
shear, i.e., only normal forces might exist.

Since this force is caused by pressure of fluid,

it will always be normal to the surface.

This determines the direction of the force.

3- Line of Action of the
Force on a
Plane Submerged
Surface
Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces

Plane Submerged Surface

We can find FR, and y and x,

by integrating, or
Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces

Plane Submerged Surface

Algebraic Equations Total Pressure Force
Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces

Plane Submerged Surface

Algebraic Equations Net Pressure Force
Centroid Location for Common
Shapes

Fluid statics Chee 223 2.43

Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces

Curved Submerged Surface

Hydrostatic Force on
Submerged Surfaces
Curved Submerged Surface
Horizontal Force = Equivalent Vertical Plane
Force
Vertical Force = Weight of Fluid Directly Above
(+ Free Surface Pressure Force)
Buoyancy
Buoyancy
 Buoyancy
A body immersed in a fluid experiences a vertical
buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it
displaces
A floating body displaces its own weight in the fluid in
which it floats
Free liquid surface
F1
h1
The upper surface of
the body is subjected
to a smaller force than
the lower surface H

h2
A net force is acting
upwards
F2
Buoyancy
The net force due to pressure in the vertical direction is:
FB = F2- F1 = (Pbottom - Ptop) (xy)

The pressure difference is:

Pbottom Ptop = g (h2-h1) = g H
Combining:
F1
FB = g H (xy) h1

H
Thus the buoyant force is: h
FB = g V 2

F2
Compressible fluid
Gases are compressible i.e. their density varies
with temperature and pressure =P M /RT
For small elevation changes (as in
engineering applications, tanks, pipes
etc) we can neglect the effect of
elevation on pressure
In
dPthe general
PMg case dP
startMg
from:
dz
g
dz RT P RT

for T To const :

g M ( z 2 z1 )
P2 P1 exp
RTo
Compressible
Linear Temperature Gradient

T T0 ( z z 0 )
p z
dp gM dz
p p R z T0 ( z z0 )
0 0

gM
T0 ( z z0 ) R
p ( z ) p0
T0
Atmospheric Equations
Assume constant

g M ( z z0 )
p ( z ) p0 e RT0

Assume linear

gM
T0 ( z z0 ) R
p ( z ) p0
T 0 Temperature variation with
altitude for the U.S.
standard atmosphere
The atmospheric
pressure distribution
based on the constant
density model (dashes),
the isothermal perfect gas
model (solid), and the
U.S. Standard
Atmosphere (circles).
Compressible Isentropic

P P1

constant T P
1 y
1
T1 P1
Cp

Cv

1
1 gMz 1 gMz
P2 P1 1 T2 T1 1
RT1 RT1
Constant Density Fluid in
Rigid Rotation
When a rigid body rotation is achieved in a fluid, all shear
stresses vanish, and there is no deformation of fluid
elements. The fluid is at rest relative to the rotating
container with a hydrostatic pressure distribution.

Since there is no component of the body force,

the pressure gradient in the direction is zero.
Example
A water-filled cylindrical container, 20 cm in diameter and
50 cm tall, rotates about its axis at 1000 rpm. If the
cylinder axis is vertical, as shown in figure below , what
are the maximum and minimum radial and vertical
pressure gradients, and where do they occur?
The radial pressure gradient p/r = +r2 is linear with a
minimum of zero on the axis of rotation. The maximum is at
the wall, where r = 10 cm. Inserting the data, we have

Note that the radial pressure gradient can also be expressed

as 1.09 106 Pa/m.
Pressure distribution in a rotating container filled with water.
(A) In Earths gravitational field, and (B) in a zero gravity
environment.
(A) Pressure distribution in a container partially filled with water and rotating at speed
A. (B) As speed is increased to B, the depression deepens. (C) Eventually the
container rotates fast enough at C that a dry spot can develop on the bottom of the
container.
Constant Density Fluid
in Rectilinier Motion
The structural design of the fuel tanks of a liquid-fueled
rocket must take into account the pressure forces
developed during acceleration.
If gravity is the only body force, and with z upward as
usual, these equations become

The general solution of these equations can be

written immediately as
Atruck engine with a sump reservoir (L = 2 ft, W =
0.5 ft, H = 1 ft) is half-filled with SAE 30W oil as
shown in figure; the sump has an emissions control
breather pipe located as shown.

Find the slope of the free surface if the vehicle

undergoes a lateral acceleration of ay = 0.25 g. At
what acceleration will the oil reach the breather
inlet?
Vocabulary List

1. Static fluid, Pascal Law

2. Manometer
3. Hydrostatic pressure
4. Gauge pressure
5. Vacuum
6. Hydrostatic force on a submerged surface
7. Buoyant force
8. Compressible fluid
9. Atmospheric equation
10. Fluid in rigid motion
 The End
Terima kasih
 Example 1
A mixture of crude oil (SG = 0.87) and water is
pumped into a settling tank that is 10 m high and
vented at the top (see Figure 1). After a period of
time, it is found that a layer of crude oil 2 m deep
has accumulated on top of 7.5 m of water.

What is the average density of the liquid column?

what is the pressure at the bottom of the tank?
Dam Design

Design concern: (Hydrostatic Uplift)

Hydrostatic pressure above the heel (upstream
edge) of the dam may cause seepage with
resultant uplift beneath the dam base (depends
largely on the supporting material of the dam).
This reduces the dams stability to sliding and
overturning by effectively reducing the weight of
the dam structure.
(Question: What prevents the dam from sliding?)
Determine the minimum compressive stresses in
the base of a concrete gravity dam as given
below.
It is important that this value should be greater
than zero because:
(1) concrete has poor tensile strength, damage
might occur near the heel of the dam.
(2) The lifting of the dam structure will
accelerate the seeping rate of the water
underneath the dam and further increase
hydrostatic uplift and generate more instability.
 20 m

Free surface

concrete=2.5 water
y
40 m
30 m
First, calculate the weight of the dam (per unit width): W=Vg=(2.5)(1000)
(20)(40)(1)(9.8)=19.6106 (N)
The static pressure at a depth of y: P(y)=wgy

The total resultant force acting on the dam by the water pressure is:
h 30
h 2
R= P(y)dy= w gydy w g (1000)(9.8)(1 / 2)(30) 2 4.4 10 6 ( N )
0 2
20 m

Free surface

concrete=2.5 water
y
40 m
30 m
 The resultant force, R, is acting at a depth h below the free surface so that
h3
h 30 w g
h3 3 2h 20( m)
Rh= P(y)ydy= ( w gy ) ydy w g y dy w g , h
2

0
3 R 3
Assume the load distribution under the dam is linear (it might not be linear if the soil
distribution is not uniform)
Therefore, the stress distribution can be written as
max min
(x)= min x
20
W
In order to reach equilibrium, both the sum of forces and
Free surface
the sum of moments have to balance to zero

20 m F x 0, R=Fdam,x (frictional force and the air drag force)

20
R F y 0, W Fdam , y ( x )dx 10( max min )
0

1.96 106 ( N ) max min

min
max
 Example (cont.)
The sum of moments has to be zero also: Taking moment w.r.t. the heel of the dam
20

M O 0, R(10) W (10) ( x ) xdx 0

0
20
min 20
(10)(4.4 10 19.6 10 ) max xdx max
6 6
x 2 dx
0
20 0

240 106 133.3 max 66.7 min

Solve: max 1.64 106 ( N ), min 0.32 106 ( N )
The minimum compressive stress is significantly lower than the maximum stress

The hydrostatic lift under the dam (as a result of the buoyancy induced by water seeping
under the dam structure) can induce as high as one half of the maximum
hydrostatic head at the heel of the dam and gradually decrease to zero at the other end.
1
That is lift ( w gh ) (0.5)(1000)(9.8)(30) 0.147 106 ( N )
2
Therefore, the effective compressive stress will only be 0.173(=0.32-0.147) 106 ( N ).