Engineering Laboratory Report, OCEN 336- Fluid Statics

and Dynamics

Experiment 3: Center of Pressure

Austin Macksey, OCEN-336- Sec. 551
Group Member: Jamie Compos
Date: 9/27/19
 Introduction

The study of pressure forces acting on plane submerged surfaces is a fundamental topic in the subject of
hydrostatics. It involves assessment of the value of the net thrust and the concept of center of pressure. The
effect of hydrostatic pressure is of major significance in many areas of engineering, such as shipbuilding,
the construction of dykes, weirs and locks, and in sanitary and building services engineering. With the H11
Center of Pressure Apparatus designed by TecQuipment Ltd., the following key topics can be investigated:
a. Pressure distribution in a liquid taking into account gravity.
b. "Lateral force" of the hydrostatic pressure.
c. Centre of pressure of the lateral force.

Abstract
This experiment is done to calculate center of pressure and the resultant force of that pressure.
Having the contain in which the fluid is held on a rotating pin allows us to visually interpret the
effects of pressure in a fluid. The overall trend is seen when using weights to counterbalance the
pressure forces, therefore giving us a readable force for the fluid. As the h(mm) height of the
water increases, so does the pressure. The relationship seems linear at first but slightly changes
to more exponential.
 Theory

Fig.2

A fluid at rest is said to be in a static condition. Consider a small three

dimensional “chunk” of a static fluid, called a fluid particle as seen in Figure 2. The fluid
particle experiences a constant pressure on all sides acting inward towards a single point
at its center. The horizontal x and y components of the pressure are equal and opposite
and have a net sum of zero. It can then be said that the pressure does not change in the
horizontal direction.

F = ma (Equation 1)

The mass of the fluid particle can be expressed as the product of its density, ρ, and its
volume, V.

m = ρV (Equation 2)

Substituting Equation 2 into Equation 1 for the mass term and letting the acceleration
term equal gravitational acceleration yields:

F = ρVg (Equation 3)

Because the x and y components of the pressure acting on the fluid particle are
negated, the volume term of Equation 3 is reduced from a volume to a unit length, dz. As
the depth of the fluid particle increases, the pressure acting on the particle also increases
due to the weight of the fluid. This is known as the pressure gradient. The change in
pressure, dP, can be expressed as a first order, non-homogenous, ordinary differential
equation. The change in pressure with respect to the change in height will equal the
specific gravity of the fluid particle, ρg.

dP/dz = ρg (Equation 4)

Separating and integrating Equation 4 will yield the hydrostatic equation.

P
 Po∫ dP = zo∫zρg dz ΔP = ρgΔz (Equation 5)

To calculate the theoretical resultant force, Rf, that acts on the submerged plane of
the torus, the hydrostatic equation is applied. Substituting the vertical depth of sinΘzc
into the hydrostatic equation (Equation 5), where zc is the distance from the centroid of
the plane to the free surface, and integrating with respect to the area of the pressure
gradient will yield the equation of the resultant force of the pressure gradient.

∫P dA = ∫ρgsinΘzc dA Rf = ρgsinΘzcA (Equation 6)

The components of Equation 6 are as follows:

ρ = the density of the fluid
g = gravitational acceleration
zc = the distance from the free surface to the centroid of the plane
A = the area of the submerged plane

To calculate the distance from the surface of the fluid to the centroid of the
submerged plane of the torus, zc, employ the following equation where Ri is the inner
radius of the torus, Ro is the outer radius of the torus and z is vertical height from the
pivot to the fluid level.

zc = (Ri – z) + (Ro – Ri)/2 (Equation 7)

After determining the distance from the surface of the fluid to the centroid of the
submerged plane in Equation 7, Equation 6 may be used to calculate the theoretical
resultant force Rf.
 To calculate the experimental resultant force of the fluid in the torus of the center
of pressure apparatus, a sum of the moments about the pivot point must calculated. To
obtain the distance of the resultant force to the pivot point, zR, employ Equation 8 below
where Ixx,c is the second moment of inertia of a square specimen, zc (Equation 7) is the
distance from the centroid to the free surface, and A is the area of the submerged plane.
zR = Ixx,c / (zcA) + zc (Equation 8)
The second moment of inertia formula is as follows, where b is the length of the base of
the submerged plane and h is the height of the submerged plane:

Ixx,c = (1/12) bh3 (Equation 9)

To calculate the sum of the moments acting around the pivot of the lever arm of
the apparatus, employ Equation 10 below where Rf is the experimental resultant force to
be determined, z is the vertical distance from the fluid level to the pivot, zR is the distance
from the resultant force to the pivot, W is the weight applied to the weight hanger and L
is the moment arm of the apparatus. The equation is set equal to zero and rearranged
algebraically in Equation 11 so as to solve for the experimental resultant force the fluid
exerts on the submerged plane of the torus.

ΣMo = Rf(z + zR) – WL = 0 (Equation 10)

Rf = WL / (z + zR) (Equation 11)

 Experimental Procedure

1). Position the apparatus on a suitable work platform and adjust the feet to level the base. If the toroid
tank
is not assembled to the balance arm, then locate the toroid on the dowel pin.
2). Affix the weight hanger to the hanger support located on the top left of the hopper.
3). The apparatus will now require trimming in order to bring the submerged plane to the vertical position
(i.e. the balance arm to the horizontal position). This is achieved by gently pouting water into the trim tank
until the desired position is achieved. The horizontal line on the tank assembly should be read against the
zero line on the back scale.
4). Add a 20g weight (m) to the weight hanger. Pour water, with dye added if necessary, into the toroid
tank until a horizontal balance is restored.
5). Record the weight and the height of the water (h).
6). Repeat the procedure for the full range of weights

Fig.1
 Results / Analysis

Mass of weight Water depth Distance from free Fully

(m) y(mm) surface to top line Submerged?
h(mm)
20 32 168 No
40 42 158 No
60 48 152 No
80 54 146 No
100 60 140 No
140 70 130 No
180 78 122 No
220 88 112 No
260 94 106 No
300 100 100 Yes
350 108 92 Yes
400 118 82 Yes
450 127 73 Yes
500 136 64 Yes
550 146 54 yes
 m(g) y(mm) h(mm) hc(mm) A(mm^ Ic(mm^ hr,th(m hr,ex(m △hr(m
2) 4) m) m) m)
20.0000 32.0000 168.000 86.0000 2400.00 537.500 0.0030 0.002 0.001
0 00 0
40.0000 42.0000 158.000 79.0000 3150.00 493.750 0.0023 0.002 0.0003
0 00 0
60.0000 48.0000 152.000 76.0000 3600.00 475.000 0.0020 0.002 0.00
0 00 0
80.0000 54.0000 146.000 73.0000 4050.00 456.250 0.0018 0.002 0.0002
0 00 0
100.000 60.0000 140.000 70.0000 4500.00 437.500 0.0016 0.002 0.0008
0 0 00 0
140.000 70.0000 130.000 65.0000 5250.00 406.250 0.0014 0.002 0.0006
0 0 00 0
180.000 78.0000 122.000 61.0000 5850.00 381.250 0.0012 0.002 -0.0008
0 0 00 0
220.000 88.0000 112.000 56.0000 6600.00 350.000 0.0011 0.002 -0.0009
0 0 00 0
260.000 94.0000 106.000 53.0000 7050.00 331.250 0.0010 0.003 -0.002
0 0 00 0
300.000 100.000 100.000 50.0000 7500.00 312.500 0.0010 0.003 -0.002
0 0 0 00 0
350.000 108.000 92.0000 42.0000 7500.00 262.500 0.0010 0.003 -0.002
0 0 00 0
400.000 118.000 82.0000 32.0000 7500.00 200.000 0.0010 0.005 -0.004
0 0 00 0
450.000 127.000 73.0000 23.0000 7500.00 143.750 0.0010 0.0007 -0.0002
0 0 00 0
500.000 136.000 64.0000 14.0000 7500.00 87.5000 0.0010 0.0013 -0.0003
0 0 00
550.000 146.000 54.0000 4.0000 7500.00 25.0000 0.0010 0.0049 -0.0039
0 0 00
 H_rth Vs. H_c
100.0000
90.0000
80.0000
70.0000
60.0000
50.0000 Series1

40.0000 Series2

30.0000
20.0000
10.0000
0.0000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

H_th & H_ex Vs. H_c

0.006

0.005
H_th , H_ex

0.004

0.003

0.002

0.001

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
H_c
 Discussion
The apparatus allows the resultant force to be measured because the apparatus is designed in
such a way that simplifies this hydrostatic problem. The apparatus is on a free rotating pin thus
allowing the moment to be calculated and therefore the resultant force.
The differences found throughout the experimental H_r and theoretical H_r are not huge
differences, however my experiment seems to be higher and that could be due to the density not
being 1000m^3/l exactly, as thought to be theoretically.
The forces acting on the sides of the container other than the cross-sectional area are negligible
due to the construct of the container and such forces acting 0against each other causing a
cancelling effect.
 Appendix
Table1: Apparatus dimensions
Inner Radius 100mm
Outer Radius 200mm
Width 75mm
Moment arm 200mm

Table2: Data Collected

Mass of weight Water depth Distance from free Fully
(m) y(mm) surface to top line Submerged?
h(mm)
20 32 168 No
40 42 158 No
60 48 152 No
80 54 146 No
100 60 140 No
140 70 130 No
180 78 122 No
220 88 112 No
260 94 106 No
300 100 100 Yes
350 108 92 Yes
400 118 82 Yes
450 127 73 Yes
500 136 64 Yes
550 146 54 yes
Table3: Calculations done to data
m(g) y(mm) h(mm) hc(mm) A(mm^ Ic(mm^ hr,th(m hr,ex(m △hr(m
2) 4) m) m) m)
20.0000 32.0000 168.000 86.0000 2400.00 537.500 0.0030 0.0002 0.0029
0 00 0
40.0000 42.0000 158.000 79.0000 3150.00 493.750 0.0023 0.0002 0.0021
0 00 0
60.0000 48.0000 152.000 76.0000 3600.00 475.000 0.0020 0.0002 0.0018
0 00 0
80.0000 54.0000 146.000 73.0000 4050.00 456.250 0.0018 0.0002 0.0016
0 00 0
100.000 60.0000 140.000 70.0000 4500.00 437.500 0.0016 0.0002 0.0014
0 0 00 0
140.000 70.0000 130.000 65.0000 5250.00 406.250 0.0014 0.0002 0.0012
0 0 00 0
180.000 78.0000 122.000 61.0000 5850.00 381.250 0.0012 0.0002 0.0010
0 0 00 0
220.000 88.0000 112.000 56.0000 6600.00 350.000 0.0011 0.0002 0.0009
0 0 00 0
260.000 94.0000 106.000 53.0000 7050.00 331.250 0.0010 0.0003 0.0008
0 0 00 0
300.000 100.000 100.000 50.0000 7500.00 312.500 0.0010 0.0003 0.0007
0 0 0 00 0
350.000 108.000 92.0000 42.0000 7500.00 262.500 0.0010 0.0003 0.0006
0 0 00 0
400.000 118.000 82.0000 32.0000 7500.00 200.000 0.0010 0.0005 0.0005
0 0 00 0
450.000 127.000 73.0000 23.0000 7500.00 143.750 0.0010 0.0007 0.0002
0 0 00 0
500.000 136.000 64.0000 14.0000 7500.00 87.5000 0.0010 0.0013 -0.0003
0 0 00
550.000 146.000 54.0000 4.0000 7500.00 25.0000 0.0010 0.0049 -0.0039
0 0 00
References:
Fig.1: http://www.caee.utexas.edu/prof/kinnas/319LAB/Lab/lab%202-
HydroStatic%20Forces/Lab2Statics.htm

Fig.2: https://sbainvent.com/fluid-mechanics/forces-along-a-streamline/