ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics

Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

1. A room in the lower level of a cruise ship has a 40-cm-diameter circular window. If
the midpoint of the window is 2 m below the water surface, determine the
hydrostatic force acting on the window, and the pressure center. Take the specific
gravity of seawater to be 1.025.

Solution

A room in the lower level of a cruise ship is considered.

The hydrostatic force acting on the window and the
pressure centre are to be determined.
2m
Assumptions Atmospheric pressure acts on both sides
of the window, and thus it can be ignored in calculations
for convenience.
FR
Properties The specific gravity of sea water is given to D=0.4 m
be 1.025, and thus its density is 1025 kg/m 3.
Analysis The average pressure on a surface is the
pressure at the centroid (midpoint) of the surface, and is
determined to be

Then the resultant hydrostatic force on each wall becomes

Page 1 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

The line of action of the force passes through the

pressure center, whose vertical distance from the
free surface is determined from

Discussion For small surfaces deep in a liquid, the pressure center nearly coincides with the
centroid of the surface. Here, in fact, to three significant digits in the final answer, the center
of pressure and centroid are coincident. We give the answer to four significant digits to show
that the center of pressure and the centroid are not coincident.

Page 2 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

2. The water side of the wall of a 70-m-long dam is a quarter circle with a radius of 7 m.
Determine the hydrostatic force on the dam and its line of action when the dam is
filled to the rim.

Solution

The cross-section of a dam is a quarter-circle. The hydrostatic force on the dam and its line of
action are to be determined.
Assumptions Atmospheric pressure acts on both sides of the dam, and thus it can be
ignored in calculations for convenience.
Properties We take the density of water to be 1000 kg/m3 throughout.
Analysis We consider the free body diagram of the liquid block enclosed by the circular
surface of the dam and its vertical and horizontal projections. The hydrostatic forces acting
on the vertical and horizontal plane surfaces as well as the weight of the liquid block are:
Horizontal force on vertical surface:

Fy = 0

R=7m
Vertical force on horizontal surface is zero since it FH
coincides with the free surface of water. The weight
of fluid block per m length is

Then the magnitude and direction of the hydrostatic force acting on the surface of the dam
become

Therefore, the line of action of the hydrostatic force passes through the center of the
curvature of the dam, making 57.5 downwards from the horizontal.
Discussion If the shape were not circular, it would be more difficult to determine the line of
action.

Page 3 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

3. Determine the resultant force acting on the 0.7-m-high and 0.7-m-wide triangular
gate shown in Fig. P3–73 and its line of action.

Solution

The resulting force acting on a triangular gate and its line of action are to be determined.
Assumptions Atmospheric pressure acts on both sides of the gate, and thus it can be
ignored in calculations for convenience.
Properties We take the density of water to be 1000 kg/m3 throughout.

0.3 m 0.7 m

water
0.9 m
0.7 m

Analysis
We first determine the angle;

Page 4 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

In order to locate FR on the gate xcp, and ycp must be found.

For simplicity, we can consider x axis to be passing through center of gravity of the gate, so
that xcg=0.

Page 5 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

4. An inverted cone is placed in a water tank as shown. If the weight of the cone is 16.5
N, what is the tensile force in the cord connecting the cone to the bottom of the
tank?

Solution An inverted cone is placed in a water tank. The tensile in the cord connecting
the cone to the bottom of the tank is to be determined.
Assumptions The buoyancy force in air is
40
negligible. cm
Properties The density of water is 1000 kg/m3. 10
cm
Analysis
20
water cm
From the figure below,
R r 2 R 40 cord
= r= = =13 .33 cm
30 20 3 3
and
The displaced volume of water is
1 1
∀= πr 2 h= π ×0 .1333 2×0 . 2=3 . 72×10−3 m 3
3 3

Therefore the buoyancy force acting on the cone is R=20 cm

−3
Fb =γ ∀=9810×3.72×10 =36 .5 N
10 cm r
For the static equilibrium, we write
F+W c=F b
F+16.5=36.5 20 cm

F=36 .5−16.5=20 N

Page 6 of 10
 ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

can lift 107 kg on earth can lift this rock in water.

5. A water tank is being towed on an uphill road that makes 14° with the horizontal with
a constant acceleration of 3.5 m/s2 in the direction of motion. Determine the angle
the free surface of water makes with the horizontal. What would your answer be if
the direction of motion were downward on the same road with the same
acceleration?

Solution
A water tank is being towed on an uphill road at constant acceleration. The angle the free
surface of water makes with the horizontal is to be determined, and the solution is to be
repeated for the downhill motion case.

Uphill Downhill ⃗g
motion
⃗g motion
Free

Horizontal surface
 -
az r 2
a = 3.5 m/s
r 2
a = 3.5 m/s
Water ax az
tank ax
z
z
 = 14
 = 14 x
x

Assumptions 1 Effects of splashing, breaking, driving over bumps, and climbing hills are
assumed to be secondary, and are not considered. 2 The acceleration remains constant.
Analysis We take the x- and z-axes as shown in the figure. From geometrical
considerations, the horizontal and vertical components of acceleration are
a x =a cos α
a z =a sin α

The tangent of the angle the free surface makes with the horizontal is
ax a cosα (3 . 5 m/s 2 )cos 14 °
tan θ= = = =0 . 3187
g+a z g+a sin α 9. 81 m/s 2 +(3 . 5 m/s 2 )sin 14 °   = 17.7

When the direction of motion is reversed, both ax and az are in negative x- and z-direction,
respectively, and thus become negative quantities,

Page 7 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

a x =−a cos α
a z =−a sin α

Then the tangent of the angle the free surface makes with the horizontal becomes
ax a cos α −(3. 5 m/s2 )cos 14 °
tan θ= = = =−0 .3789
g+a z g+a sin α 9. 81 m/s 2−(3 .5 m/s2 )sin14 °
  =  20.8
Discussion Note that the analysis is valid for any fluid with constant density, not just
water, since we used no information that pertains to water in the solution.

Page 8 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

6. A 4-m-diameter vertical cylindrical milk tank rotates at a constant rate of 15 rpm. If

the pressure at the center of the bottom surface is 130 kPa, determine the pressure
at the edge of the bottom surface of the tank. Take the density of the milk to be 1030
kg/m3.
Solution

A vertical cylindrical milk tank is rotated at constant speed, and the pressure at the center of
the bottom surface is measured. The pressure at the edge of the bottom surface is to be
determined.
Assumptions 1 The increase in the rotational speed is
very slow so that the liquid in the container always acts as
a rigid body. 2 Milk is an incompressible substance.
Free
Properties The density of the milk is given to be 1030 surface
kg/m3.
Analysis Taking the center of the bottom surface of
the rotating vertical cylinder as the origin (r = 0, z = 0), the
equation for the free surface of the liquid is given as zs ho
z

0 r
where R = 2 m is the radius, and g R=2m

The fluid rise at the edge relative to the center of the tank is

The pressure difference corresponding to this fluid height difference is

Then the pressure at the edge of the bottom surface becomes

Page 9 of 10
ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 3 Questions & Solutions

Discussion Note that the pressure is 3.9% higher at the edge relative to the center of the
tank, and there is a fluid level difference of 0.503 m between the edge and center of the
tank, and these differences should be considered when designing rotating fluid tanks.

Page 10 of 10