Topic 2

FLUID STATICS
How to structure narratives purposefully
LEARNING OUTCOMES
6 Hours
TODAY YOU WILL:

analyse pressure and force in static and

moving fluid as well as flow in pipe and
pipe network (WK, WP, C4)
 FLUID STATICS

 Hydrostatic pressure and pressure measurement

 Hydrostatic force on flat surfaces
 Hydrostatic force curved surfaces
 Buoyancy force and centre of buoyancy
 Stability of floating object and metacentre height
Hydrostatic force on flat surfaces
 Hydrostatic Forces On Submerged Plane Surfaces

• Completely submerged
• Consider a completely submerged rectangular flat plate of height b
and width a tilted at an angle θ from the horizontal.
• The resultant hydrostatic force on the upper surface is equal to the
average pressure, which is the pressure at the midpoint of the
surface, times the surface area A
 Hydrostatic Forces on Plane Surface
One side submerged (plane surface)
 In most cases, the other side of the plate is open to the atmosphere, and thus
atmospheric pressure acts on both sides of the plate, yielding a zero resultant. In
such cases, it is convenient to subtract atmospheric pressure and work with the
gage pressure only

 The magnitude of the resultant force acting on a plane surface of a completely

submerged plate in a homogeneous (constant density) fluid is equal to the product
of the pressure at the centroid of the surface , Pavg and the area of the surface, A

FR = Pave A
1 
FR = ρgh bh 
2 

• On a plane surface, the hydrostatic

forces form a system of parallel forces -
magnitude of the force and its point of
application, called as center of pressure.
When analyzing hydrostatic forces on
submerged surfaces, the atmospheric
pressure can be subtracted for simplicity
when it acts on both sides of the structure.
 One side is The other side of the
immersed/ contact plate is exposed to the
with liquid atmosphere

hc

FR per unit width : Area of the pressure diagram

ρgy 2 1
FR = Area, A = y × ρgy
2 2
The point of intersection of the line of action
of the resultant force and the surface is the
Ix
center of pressure. yp yP = + hc
Ahc
 Horizontal plate

• Line of action is through centroid of A, x, y

 Pressure diagrams

• For vertical walls of constant width it is usually much easier to find the resultant
force and centre of pressure. This is done graphically by means of a pressure
diagram.
• Consider the tank in the diagram below having vertical walls and holding a
liquid of density ρ to a depth of H. To the right can be seen a graphical
representation of the (gauge) pressure change with depth on one of the
vertical walls. Pressure increases from zero at the surface linearly by P = ρgz, to a
maximum at the base of P = ρgH .
• The are of the triangle represents the resultant force per unit width
on the vertical wall.
1
Area = × AB × BC
2
1
= HρgH
2
1
= ρgH 2
2
F
• The resultant force per unit width :
1
FR = ρgH 2
2

• The force acts through the centroid of the pressure diagram. For a
triangle, the centrod is at 2/3 its height. Or (1/3H) from the bottom.
 Vertical plate

FR = Pavg A
h
P = ρg  
2
h
P =γ 
2

h Ix
FR = γ   A CP = + hc
2 Ahc
hc

FR = [PO + P ]A
FR = [PO + ρghc ]A
 b
FR = ρg  s +  × Aimmersed
 2
 Example 1

• A dock gate AB is 3 m long and 2 m high. The water is of 1.5 m

depth. Find the magnitude and location of the resultant hydrostatic
force acting on the gate. Given :
ρ = 1000 kg/m3
h = 1.5 m
b=3m
 Inclined Plate

• Consider the top surface of a flat plate

completely submerged in a liquid,
together with its top view. The plane of
this surface (normal to the page)
intersects the horizontal free surface
with an angle θ, and we take the line of
intersection to be the x-axis.

• The absolute pressure above the liquid is

P0, which is the local atmospheric
pressure Patm if the liquid is open to the P = Po + ρghc
atmosphere (but P0 may be different P = Po + ρg ( y sin θ )
than Patm if the space above the liquid is
evacuated or pressurized). Then the
where
absolute pressure at any point on the
h is the vertical distance of the point
plate is
from the free surface
y is the distance of the point from the
x-axis (from point O)
 Magnitude

• The resultant hydrostatic force FR acting on the surface is determined by

FR = [Po + ρg ( y c sin θ )]A

FR = [Po + ρghc ]A
FR = PC A
FR = Pave A

• where
PC = P0 + ρghC :pressure at the centroid of the surface (which
is equivalent to the average pressure on the surface)
hC = yC sin θ is the vertical distance of the centroid from the free surface of
the liquid
 Inclined rectangular plate

P = Po + ρgh
P = Po + ρg ( y sin θ )
Water surface
hc=

h =y sin θ
hc @y

FR = [PO + P ]A
FR = [PO + ρghc ]A
 b 
FR = ρg  s +  sin θ  × Aimmersed
 2 
 Direction and line of action of the force.

 Next we need to determine the line of action of the resultant force FR.

 The line of action of the resultant hydrostatic force, in general, does not pass
through the centroid of the surface; it lies underneath where the pressure is
higher.

 The point of intersection of the line of action of

the resultant force and the surface is the center
of pressure. The vertical location of the line of
action is determined by equating the moment of
the resultant force to the moment of the
distributed pressure force about the x-axis.

 The distance of the center of pressure from the x-

axis (point O) ; yP is :
I xx
y p = yC +
[ yc + Po / (ρg sin θ )]A
 Ignoring the atmospheric pressure,
I xx
y p = yC +
yc A
• The Ixx values for some common areas are given.
 Centre of Pressure on the Plane Surfaces

 If the shape is symmetrical the centre of pressure lies on the line of symmetry.
 If it is not symmetrical its position must be found by taking moments about the
line as following:
FR × d = sum of the moments of the force on all elements of δA
= ∑ ρgzδAx
 but we have

 so ; Vertically submerged Inclined submerged

xδAH
d =∑
Ax Ix I x sin θ
2

CP = + hc CP = + hc
Ahc Ahc
FR = ρgA z

hc hc
 2nd moment of area

 How do you calculate the 2nd moment of area?

 To calculate the 2nd moment of area of a plane about an axis
through the centroid, Table below is used. The position/magnitude
of the centre of pressure can be obtained by the following
equation;

Ix
CP = + hc
Ahc
• 2nd moment of area
 Example 2

• Find the force on the gate and the centre of pressure.

 Example 3

• Find the force and the centre of pressure on the triangular gate
below.
 Example 4

• An inclined rectangular gate is given by 1.5 m by 1.0 m with water

on one side as shown below. Determine :
The total resultant force acting on the gate.
The location centre of pressure.
 Flat vs Curve surface

• Vertical/Horizontal submerged plane

• For a horizontal plane submerged in a liquid (or a plane
experiencing uniform pressure over its surface), the pressure P, will
be equal at all points of the surface. Thus the resultant force will be
given by :
FR = pressure × area of plane
FR = PA
.

• Curved submerged surface

• If the surface is curved, each elemental force will be a different
magnitude and in different direction but still normal to the surface of
that element.
• The resultant force can be found by resolving all forces into
orthogonal co-ordinate directions to obtain its magnitude and
direction. This will always be less than the sum of the individual forces
:

∑ PδA
 Hydrostatic force Submerged curved surfaces

The easiest way to determine the resultant hydrostatic force FR acting on

a two-dimensional curved surface is to determine the horizontal and
vertical components FH and FV separately.
Vertical force
component on curved
surface: Fv = Fy + W

FY, FX, W are

Forces due to
W = ρgv hydrostatic
liquid

The resultant force acting on the

curved solid surface is then equal and
opposite to the force acting on the Resultant force Horizontal force
curved liquid surface component on curved
FR =(Fv2 + FH2)0.5
surface:. FH = Fx
• If a surface is curved, the forces produced by fluid pressure on the
small elements making up the area will not be parallel and therefore
must be combined vectorially. It is convenient to calculate the
horizontal and vertical components of the resultant force.
• Below, AB is an immersed surface and Fh and Fv are the horizontal
and vertical components of the resultant force FR. Figures below
show :
1. the liquid lies above the curved surface
2. the fluid is below the curved surface.
 The liquid lies above the curved surface

1.As the element ACB is in equilibrium, thus the resultant force FP on AC

equals to horizontal component of Fh as there is no other horizontal
force acting.
2.The vertical component Fv will be entirely due to the weight of the fluid
in the area of ABDE lying vertically above AB. There are no other
vertical forces on AE and BD as the fluid is at rest. The Fv will act
vertically downwards through the center of gravity G of ABDE.

• Horizontal component,
Fh = resultant force on the projection of AB
on the vertical plane

• Vertical component, W

Fv = weight of fluid vertically above AB

 • The liquid lies above the curved surface

The horizontal component of force on a curved The vertical component of

surface equals the force on the plane area pressure force on a curved
formed by the projection of the curved surface surface equals in magnitude and
onto a vertical plane normal to the component. direction the weight of the entire
Thus, the FH due to the curved surface is exactly column of fluid, both liquid and
equal to the force FH on the vertical left side of atmosphere, above the curved
the fluid column and computed by: surface.
FH = PA FV = W1 + W2 + Wair
• The liquid lies above the curved surface
O
FH
θ hc
FR
FV

FH = ρgAhc b
FV = mg = ρgv = γv

FR = (F ) + (F )
V
2 2
H

FV
θ = tan −1

FH
 Example 5

• Determine the total hydrostatic pressure and center of pressure on

the 5 m long, 2 m high quadrant gate.
 Example 6

• Given :
• h1 = 3 m
• h2 = 4.5 m
• w = 2.5 m

• Compute the horizontal and vertical component on the curved

surface below. Calculate the resultant force.
 The fluid is below the curved surface
1.When element ABF in equilibrium, the horizontal component Fh is equal to
resultant force on the projection BF of the curved surface AB.
2.If the surface AB were removed and the space ABDE filled with the liquid, this
liquid would be in equilibrium under its own weight and the vertical force on the
boundary AB. The vertical component will act vertically upwards through the
centre of gravity G of its imaginary volume of fluid.

• Horizontal component,
Fh = resultant force on the projection of AB on the vertical plane

• Vertical component,
Fv = weight of the volume of the same fluid which
would lie vertically above AB

W
• The resultant force,

FR = (Fh )2 + (Fv )2
• The direction of magnitude given by θ;
Fv
θ = tan −1
Fh
 The fluid is below the curved surface

• Determination of the hydrostatic force acting on a submerged

curved surface.

When a curved surface is above

the liquid, the weight of the
liquid and the vertical
component of the hydrostatic
force act in the opposite
directions.

• Horizontal force component, FH = Fx

• Vertical force component, FV = Fy − W

• Resultant force,
FR = (F ) + (F )
V
2 2
H
 Example 7

• A long solid cylinder of radius 0.8 m hinged at point A is used as an

automatic gate, as shown in Figure.

• When the water level reaches 5 m, the gate opens by turning about
the hinge at point A. Determine
a) the hydrostatic force acting on the cylinder and its line of
action when the gate opens
b) the weight of the cylinder per m length of the cylinder.
 Example 8

• A 4m long quarter circular gate of radius 3 m and of negligible

weight is hinged about its upper edge A. the gate controls the flow
of water over the ledge at B, were the gate is pressed by a spring.
Determine the minimum spring force required to keep the gate
closed when the water level rises to A at the upper edge of the
gate.
 Buoyancy force and Centre of buoyancy

• Stability of Completely Submerged Bodies

• Stability of Floating Bodies
• Degree of Stability

Terminology :
• Centre of buoyancy
• Centre of gravity
• Equilibrium
Stable equilibrium
Neutral equilibrium
Unstable equilibrium
• Metacentric, Metacentric height
 Buoyancy force

• Buoyancy Force of fluid, FB. It is vertically upward and equal to the weight of the
volume of fluid DHCK.
• Therefore,
Buoyant Force on any body is equal to the weight of fluid displaced ;
If the body is in equilibrium, W is equal and opposite to FB, means that the
densities of the body and the fluid are equal.

FB = W = ρ s gv s
• If;
W > FB => body will sink
 W < FB => body will rise to the surface (float) until the weight of the
displaced liquid equals the weight of the body

Submerged Body
 For floating bodies, the weight of the entire body must be equal to
the
 buoyant force, which is the weight of the fluid whose volume is
equal to the volume of the submerged portion of the floating body.
 A solid body dropped into a fluid will sink, float, or remain at rest at
any point in the fluid, depending on its density relative to the density
of the fluid.

Solid body

Float Dive Sink

FB > W FB = W FB < W

Neutral buoyancy occurs when a body stays

in a given position wherever it is submerged
in a fluid. An object whose average specific
weight is equal to that of the fluid is neutrally
buoyant.
 An important application of the buoyancy concept is the assessment of
the stability of immersed and floating bodies.

Immersed bodies Floating bodies

An immersed body is : A floating body is :

a) stable if the center of gravity G is a) stable if the body is bottom-
directly below the center of heavy and thus the center of
buoyancy B of the body gravity G is below the centroid B
b) neutrally stable if G and B are of the body, or if the metacenter
coincident M is above point G.
c) unstable if G is directly above B. b) unstable if point M is below point
G.
 Stability of Completely Submerged Bodies

 A body in a fluid is considered stable if it will return to its original

position after being rotated a small amount about a horizontal axis.
 The condition for stability of bodies completely submerged in a fluid
is that the center of gravity of the body must be below the center of
buoyancy.
 The center of buoyancy of a body is at the centroid of the
displaced volume of fluid, and it is through this point that the
buoyant force acts in a vertical direction.
 The weight of the body acts vertically downward through the center
of gravity.
• If the cg is above the cb, the couple created when the body is tilted
would produce an overturning couple that would cause it to
capsize.
• Solid objects have the cg and cb coincident and they exhibit
neutral stability when completely submerged, meaning that they
tend to stay in whatever position they are placed.
 Stability of Floating Bodies

 Figure (a), the floating body is at its equilibrium orientation and the
center of gravity (cg) is above the center of buoyancy (cb).
 Figure (b) shows that if the body is rotated slightly, the center of
buoyancy shifts to a new position because the geometry of the
displaced volume has changed.
 The buoyant force and the weight now produce a righting couple
that tends to return the body to its original orientation.
 Thus, the body is stable
 i. Stable equilibrium

• A body in stable equilibrium:-

A slight angular displacement (tilt or list)
A horizontal distance a then separates W and FB,
(in combination create moments that tend to rotate the body)

G below the centre of buoyancy, B

Net lift = FB − W
Righting moment = W × a if W < FB
= FB × a if W < FB
• If the moment tend to restore the body to its original position, the
lesser of two moments is called the ‘righting moment’, thus, the
body is in ‘stable equilibrium’.
• The stability of submerged and floating bodies depends on the
relative positions of the Buoyant Force and the Weight of the body.
• Buoyant Force acts through the center of buoyancy, B (corresponds
to the center of gravity of the displaced fluid)
• The criterion for stability of a fully submerged body is that the center
of buoyancy, B is above the center of gravity, G of the body.
• If B were initially below G (refer Figure),moment created by tilt would
tend to increase the displacement.
• If a righting moment develops when a floating body lists, the body
will be stable regardless of whether the B is above or below the G.

• However, in the floating body case, the location of B below G does

not guarantee instability as it does for submerged bodies.(This is
because B can move relative to a floating body as it tilts – due to its
shape, whereas for submerged body, the position of B is fixed
relative to the body.)
• This figure shows the cross sections through the hull of a ship.(it is
stable even though B is below G).
• If the ship tilts to the right (figure b),the B moves to the right further
than the line of action of W, therefore,
Righting Moment, = FB x a

• In contrast to submerged body, when B is below G, the body is

under unstable equilibrium.
 ii. Neutral equilibrium

• Neutral equilibrium is when B and G are both in same position.

• Even after a rotation, there is no restoring moment as the location of
B and G remained the same.
 iii. Unstable equilibrium

• For completely submerged body, unstable equilibrium happens

when the centre of buoyancy B is below the centre of gravity G.
 Example 9

• The container is 3 m wide and weighs 50 kN when empty. It has a

designed capacity of 500 kN. The container is to be used in the sea
water (Sg : 1.03). Find to what depth the container is submerged
when empty and when carrying it designed capacity

10 m

3m

7m
 Stability of floating object and metacentre height

Stability of Floating Bodies

 A floating body is stable if its center of gravity is below the metacenter.
 The distance to the metacenter from the center of buoyancy is called MB and
is calculated from
I
MB =
Vd
 Vd is the displaced volume of fluid
 I is the least moment of inertia of a horizontal section of the body taken at
the surface of the fluid.
 If the distance MB places the metacenter above the center of gravity, the
body is stable
 Procedure for evaluating the stability of
Floating bodies

1. Determine the position of the floating body, using the principles of buoyancy.
2. Locate the center of buoyancy, cb; compute the distance from some
reference axis to cb, called ycb
3. Usually, the bottom of the object is taken as the reference axis.
4. Locate the center of gravity, cg; compute ycg measured from the same
reference axis.
5. Compute I, compute the displaced volume Vd. Compute MB = I/Vd
6. Compute ymc = ycb + MB.
7. If ymc> ymg, the body is stable. If ymc< ymg, the body is unstable.
 Metacentric

 When the body is displaced through an  The stability of floating bodies depends
angle θ, the centre of buoyancy on the relative position of M with the
moves from B to B’. centre of gravity, G.

 The point of intersection of the lines of  When M below G, GM negative

action of the buoyancy before and →produce overturning moment
after displaced is called the (unstable)
metacentric, M. and the distance is
 When M coincides with G, the body
metacentric height, GM.
is neutrally equilibrium.

 The stability of floating bodies depends

on the relative position of M with the
centre of gravity, G.
 When M above G, GM positive →
produce righting moment (stable)
 Stability conditions

• The conditions for stability of bodies in a fluid can be summarized as

follows.
1. Completely submerged bodies are stable if the center of gravity is below
the center of buoyancy.
2. Floating bodies are stable if the center of gravity is below the
metacenter.
 Example 10

A homogenous wooden cylinder of length 0.8 m has a diameter of 1 m. the specific

gravity of wood is 0.8. find the metacentric height if the cylinder floats in fresh water
with its axis vertical as shown below. Indicate whether it is stable in this position.
End of Topic 2
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