Florida International University, Department of Civil and

Environmental Engineering

CWR 3201 Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2018

Fluid Statics

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Arturo S. Leon, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
 2.1 INTRODUCTION
Fluid Statics: Study of fluids with no relative motion between fluid
particles.
• No shearing stress (no velocity gradients)
• Only normal stress exists (pressure)

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 MOTIVATION

Source: asciencecom, Youtube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqpl4ME6rRY)
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 MOTIVATION (CONT.)

Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zip9ft1PgV0 )

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 MOTIVATION (CONT.)

Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jLQx3kD7p8 )

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 2.2 PRESSURE AT A POINT
• Pressure is an infinitesimal normal compressive force divided by the infinitesimal
area over which it acts.
• From Newton’s Second Law (for x- and
y-directions):

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 2.2 PRESSURE AT A POINT
• As the element goes to a point (Δx, Δy 0)

• Pressure in a fluid is constant at a point.

• Pressure is a scalar function.
• It acts equally in all directions at a point for both static and dynamic
fluids.
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 2.3 DERIVATION OF GENERAL FORM OF PRESSURE VARIATION

• Newton’s Second Law in “x”, “y”

and “z”-directions:

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 • Using the Chain rule, the pressure change
in any direction can be calculated as:

• Then the pressure differential becomes:

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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
• The pressure differential (from the
previous slide) is:

• At rest, there is no acceleration (a = 0):

No pressure variation in the x- and y-directions (horizontal plane). Pressure varies

in the z-direction only (dp is negative if dz is positive).
Pressure decreases as we move up and increases as we move down.
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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.1 Pressure in Liquids at Rest
• At a distance h below a free surface, the pressure is:

p = 0 at h = 0.

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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.3 Manometers
Manometers are instruments that
use columns of liquid to measure
pressures.

• (a) displays a U-tube manometer

used to measure relatively small
pressures
• (b): Large pressures can be
measured using a liquid with large
2.
• (c): Very small pressures can be
measured as small pressure
changes in p1, leading to a
relatively large deflection H.

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Example: P.2.40. Find the gage pressure in the water pipe shown in Fig. P2.40

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 Example: P.2.41. For the inclined manometer containing mercury, shown in Fig.
P2.41, determine the pressure in pipe B if the pressure in pipe A is 10 kPa. Pipe A
has water flowing through it, and oil is flowing in pipe B.

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 Example: P.2.42. The pressure in pipe B in Problem P2.41 is reduced slightly.
Determine the new pressure in pipe B if the pressure in pipe A remains the same and
the reading along the inclined leg of the manometer is 11 cm (Tip: See problems
2.41 and 2.42)

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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.4 Forces on Plane Areas

• The total force of a liquid on

a plane surface is:

• After knowing the equation

for pressure (P = h):

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2.4.4 Forces on Plane Areas

ത Vertical distance from the

ℎ:
free surface to the centroid of
the area
pC: Pressure at the centroid
The centroid or geometric center of a plane figure is the arithmetic
19 mean ("average") position of all the points in the shape.
 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST

• The center of pressure is

the point where the resultant
force acts:
• Sum of moments of all
infinitesimal pressure
forces on an area, A,
equals the moment of the
resultant force.

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𝑦:
ത Measured parallel to the plane
area to the free surface
• The moments of area can be found
using:

See Appendix C for

21 centroids and moments
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Example: P.2.56. Determine the force P needed to hold the 4-m wide gate in the
position shown in Fig. P2.56.

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Example: P.2.62. At what height H will the rigid gate, hinged at a central point as
shown in Fig. P2.62, open if h is:
a) 0.6 m? b) 0.8 m? c) 1.0 m?

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 2.4.5 Forces on Curved Surfaces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV-JO-l7Mx4
• Direct integration cannot find the force due to the hydrostatic pressure on a curved
surface.
• A free-body diagram containing the curved surface and surrounding liquid needs to
be identified.

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Example: P.2.72. Find the force P required to hold the gate in the position shown in
Fig. P.2.72 . The gate is 5-m wide.

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Example: P.2.77. Find the force P if the parabolic gate shown in Fig. P.2.77 is
a) 2-m wide and H = 2 m
b) 4-ft wide and H = 8 ft.

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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.6 Buoyancy (Archimedes’ principle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RefIvqaYg8
• Buoyancy force on an object equals the weight of displaced liquid.

V is the volume of
displaced fluid and W is
the weight of the
floating object.
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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.6 Buoyancy (Archimedes’ principle)

• The buoyant force acts through the centroid of the displaced liquid volume.
• An application of this would be a hydrometer that is used to measure the specific
gravity of liquids.

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• For pure water, this is 1.0
 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.6 Buoyancy (Hydrometers)

• Where h is the displaced height

• A: Cross-sectional area of the stem
𝛾𝑥
• 𝑆𝑥 =
𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

• For a given hydrometer, V and A are fixed.

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Example: P.2.78. The 3-m wide barge shown in Fig. P.2.78 weighs 20 kN empty. It is
proposed that it carry a 250-kN load. Predict the draft in:
a) Fresh water
b) Salt water (S = 1.03)

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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
2.4.7 Stability
• In (a) the center of gravity of the
body is above the centroid C
(center of buoyancy), so a small
angular rotation leads to a moment
that increases rotation: unstable.
• (b) shows neutral stability as the
center of gravity and the centroid
coincide.
• In (c), as the center of gravity is
below the centroid, a small angular
rotation provides a restoring
moment and the body is stable.
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 2.4 FLUIDS AT REST
Metacentric height
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUgXf2Rj2YQ

• The metacentric height 𝑮𝑴 is the distance from G to the point of intersection of the
buoyant force before rotation with the buoyant force after rotation.
• If 𝑮𝑴 is positive: Stable
39 • If 𝑮𝑴 is negative: Unstable
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Example: P.2.94. The barge shown in Fig. P2.94 is loaded such that the center of
gravity of the barge and the load is at the waterline. Is the barge stable?

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Example: P.2.92. For the object shown in Fig. P2.92, calculate SA for neutral stability
when submerged.

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 Linearly Accelerating Containers

Source: asciencecom, Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqpl4ME6rRY)

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 DEMONSTRATION
Pressure within an
Accelerating Container

Source: Jon Barbieri and Peter Hassinger, "Pressure within an Accelerating Container"
46 http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/PressureWithinAnAcceleratingContainer/
 2.5 LINEARLY ACCELERATING CONTAINERS
• The derived pressure differential
equation is:

• When the fluid is linearly accelerating with horizontal (ax) and vertical (az)
components:

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 2.5 LINEARLY ACCELERATING CONTAINERS

• As points 1 and 2 lie on a

constant-pressure line:

α = angle that the constant-pressure line

makes with the horizontal.

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Example: P.2.97. The tank shown in Fig. P2.97 is accelerated to the right at 10 m/s2.
Find:
a)PA, b)PB, c)PC

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Example: P.2.99. The tank shown in Fig. P2.99 is filled with water and accelerated.
Find the pressure at point A if a = 20 m/s2 and L = 1 m.

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 2.6 ROTATING CONTAINERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdRnB3jz1Yw
• For a liquid in a rotating container (cross-section shown):

• In a short time, the liquid reaches static equilibrium with respect to the container
and the rotating rz-reference frame.
• Horizontal rotation will not affect the pressure distribution in the vertical direction.
53 • No variation in pressure with respect to the θ-coordinate.
 2.6 ROTATING CONTAINERS
• Between two points (r1,z1)
and (r2,z2) on a rotating
container, the static pressure
variation is:

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• If two points are on a constant-pressure surface (e.g., free surface) with point 1 on
the z-axis [r1=0]:

55 • The free surface is a paraboloid of revolution.

Example: P.2.106. For the cylinder shown in Fig. P2.106, determine the pressure at
point A for a rotational speed of 5 rad/s.

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Example: P.2.107. The hole in the cylinder of Problem P2.106 is closed and the air
pressurized to 25kPa. Find the pressure at point A if the rotational speed is 5 rad/s.

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