Experiment (10)

Center of Pressure
Introduction
Water at rest (or relatively slow moving water) exerts a hydrostatic force (pressure) on
the walls of dams, large ducts, canals and against canal gates (in canal locks). This
hydrostatic force is not the same as that fluid force at the bottom of the dam or canal, as it
is applied at a steeper angle (usually right angle) and changes with the height of water
(submersion of the plane). Engineers need to know how to predict this force to help
understand the strength and design of structures needed to resist it.

Objectives
This experiment aims to:
1- Study the moment due to the hydrostatic force on a fully or partially submerged
vertical plane surface and compare it with theory.
2- Find the relationship between water height and moment of force (fluid
thrust) on a vertical plane surface.

Apparatus
Figure (1) shows a more detailed drawing of the apparatus. A vertical back panel holds a
quadrant-shaped a semi-circular perspex tank which holds a variable height of water and
pivots on a smooth bar. The cylindrical sides of the quadrant have their axes coincident
with the center of rotation of the tank assembly. Therefore, the total fluid pressure acting
on these surfaces exert no moment about that center. The moment is only due to the fluid
pressure acting on the plane surface.

Figure 1: Center of pressure apparatus

1|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

Students apply weights on the opposite side of the pivot to balance out the moment. They
then
calculate moment on the plane surface from the equal and opposite moment caused by the
weights.
A smaller ‘trim tank’, on the same side of the assembly as the weight hanger, provides an
initial trimming facility to keep the balance correct.
Two lines engraved on the back of the tank allow students to keep it at right angles or 30
degrees. A linear scale on the back panel allows measurement of the water height in the
tank

Theory
Centre of pressure may be defined as ‘the point in a plane at which the total fluid thrust
can be said to be acting normal to that plane’.
As shown in figure (2), the hydrostatic pressure exerted by a liquid of density ρ or
specific weight w, at depth h below the surface, is:

𝑝 = 𝜌𝑔ℎ = 𝑤ℎ − − − − − − − −(1)

Figure 2: Hydrostatic pressure at depth h

This is the gauge pressure, due solely to the liquid column of height h. To obtain the
absolute pressure pa at depth h, we must add whatever pressure ps is applied at the
liquid's surface, giving:

𝑝𝑎 = 𝑝𝑠 + 𝑝 = 𝑝𝑠 + 𝑤ℎ − − − − − − − −(2)
Referring to figure (3), consider an element at start depth y, width dy, then force on
element is given by:

𝛿𝐹 = 𝑤(𝑦𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝜃) − ℎ)𝐵𝑑𝑦 − − − − − − − −(3)

The summation of moments about the pivot point 0 is given by:

Σ𝑀0 = 0

2|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

 W𝑅3 − 𝑤𝐵 �(𝑦 2 cos(𝜃) − ℎ𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 0

M = W𝑅3 = 𝑤𝐵 �(𝑦 2 cos(𝜃) − ℎ𝑦)𝑑𝑦 − − − − − − − −(4)

Figure 3: Schematic of center of pressure apparatus

1. Partially Submerged Plane [h > R 1 cos (θ)]

When the plane is partially submerged, the water only covers part of the area of
the plane and the moment applied is not proportional to the water height. The
moment in this case is given by:
𝑤𝐵𝑅23 cos(𝜃) 𝑤𝐵𝑅22 ℎ 𝑤𝐵ℎ3 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 (𝜃)
M= − + − − − − − − − −(5)
3 2 6

Where:

𝑤: Weight per unit volume of water

B: Width of plane surface (in this experiment it equals 75mm)

𝜃: Angle of the tank (in this experiment it equals 0o)

R 1 : Inner radius (in this experiment it equals 100 mm)

R 2 : Outer radius (in this experiment it equals 200 mm)
R 3 : Moment arm (in this experiment it equals 200 mm)

3|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

 1. Fully Submerged Plane [h < R 1 cos(θ)]:
When the plane is fully submerged, the water covers the full area of the plane
and the moment applied should be inversely proportional to the water
height, so:
𝑘
𝑀 = − − − − − − − −(6)
𝑚
Fully submerged limits are R 1 and R 2 , then:
𝑅2

M = 𝑤𝐵 � (𝑦 2 cos(𝜃) − ℎ𝑦)𝑑𝑦
𝑅1

𝑤𝐵 cos(𝜃) 3 𝑤𝐵 2
M= (𝑅2 − 𝑅13 ) − (𝑅2 − 𝑅12 )ℎ − − − − − − − −(7)
3 2
Hydrostatic force and its position
In this experiment, there are two cases. Case 1 is partially submerged where the level of
the water (h1) is less than the height of the plane while case 2 is fully submerged where
the level of the water (h2) is high than the plane as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: The two cases of center of pressure.

1. Partially Submerged Plane

The Pressure linearly changes and Hydrostatic force changes along the vertical depth h as
shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 shows the distribution of the pressure along the vertical plane when the level of
the water is less than the height of the plane

4|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

 (𝑅2 − ℎ1) < (𝑅2 − 𝑅1) − − − − − −(8)
Differential Force acting on the differential area dA of plane
𝑑𝐹 = (𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒) ⋅ (𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎) = (𝜌𝑔𝑦) ⋅ (𝑑𝐴) (Perpendicular to plane)
Then, Magnitude of total resultant force F R
(𝑅2−ℎ1)

𝐹𝑅 = � 𝑃. 𝑑𝐴 → � 𝜌𝑔𝐵𝑦𝑑𝑦 − − − − − (9)
𝐴
0

Where is the point (location) of action of F R ?

- Not passing though Centroid!! (Why?)
Hint: Considered to the balance of torques due to of F R
Position of F R on y-axis
y cp : y coordinate of the point of action of F R
1
𝐼𝑥𝑥,𝑐 (𝑅2 − ℎ1) ∗ 𝐵 ∗ (𝑅2 − ℎ1)3
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 𝑦𝑐 + → 𝑦𝑐𝑝 = + 12
𝐴𝑦𝑐 2 (𝑅2 − ℎ1)
𝐴𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 2

Figure 5: Schematic diagram of partially submerged.

2. Fully submerged
Figure 6 shows the distribution of the pressure along the vertical plane when the level
of the water is larger than the height of the plane
Magnitude of total resultant force F R

5|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

 (𝑅2−ℎ2)

𝐹𝑅 = � 𝑃. 𝑑𝐴 → � 𝜌𝑔𝐵𝑦𝑑𝑦 − − − − − (10)
𝐴
(𝑅1−ℎ2)

ycp : y coordinate of the point of action of F R

𝐼𝑥𝑥,𝑐
𝑦𝑐𝑝 = 𝑦𝑐 + → 𝑦𝑐𝑝
𝐴𝑦𝑐
1 3
=(
(𝑅2 − 𝑅1)
+ (𝑅1 − ℎ2)) + 12 ∗ 𝐵 ∗ (𝑅2 − 𝑅1)
2 (𝑅2 − 𝑅1)
𝐴𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 ( 2 + (𝑅1 − ℎ2))

Figure 6: Schematic Diagram of Fully Submerged.

Experimental Procedures
1) Hook one (empty) weight hanger to the support and add water to the trim tank
until the tank is level and the submerged plane is therefore vertical. The horizontal
line on the back of the tank should line up with the 0 mm line of the back panel.
The empty weight hanger is a trim weight of 10 g. You do not need to record the
trim weight or the amount of water in the trim tank, as they are simply to balance
the empty tank at 0 degrees.
2) Add the second weight hanger with a 10 g weight, giving a total weight of 20 g
(the weight hanger is 10 g).
3) Pour your colored water into the quadrant tank until it returns to 0°. Note the
weight and the height reading of the water (h) with respect to 0 mm.
4) Continue increasing the weight in 20 g increments, while adding water until the
tank becomes level. Stop when the water level (h) reaches 0 mm or you have used
6|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah
 all the weights. Record the weight and level at each increment in table (1). Fit the
cove plate over the stem of the flat plate fitting and hold it in position below the
beam. Screw in the retaining screw and tighten it.
Table 1: Raw data
m W
𝐹(𝑁) 𝑴𝒆𝒙𝒑 (𝑁. 𝑚) 𝒅𝒆𝒙𝒑 (𝑚) 𝑴𝒕𝒉 (𝑁. 𝑚) 𝒅𝒕𝒉 (𝑚) 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟(𝑀)% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟(𝑀)%
[g] [N]

7|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah

Discussion and Conclusions
1) Use the fully submerged part of your results (h < R1 cos θ) to create a chart of
Moment M (vertical axis) against height.
2) Use the partially submerged part of your results (h > R1 Cos θ) to create a chart of
Moment M (vertical axis) against height.
3) How do the theoretical and actual results compare?

8|Page Lab. Supervisor: Eng. Walaa Araydah