MAE 3130: Fluid Mechanics

Lecture 2: Fluid Statics (Part A)

Spring 2003
Dr. Srinivas Krishnaswamy
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
 Outline
• Overview
• Pressure at a Point
• Basic Equations for the Pressure Field
• Hydrostatic Condition
• Standard Atmosphere
• Manometry and Pressure Measurements
• Example Problems
 Fluid Mechanics Overview

Fluid Mechanics

Gas Liquids Statics Dynamics

F 0 i  F  0 , Flows
i

Water, Oils, Stability

Air, He, Ar, Buoyancy
Alcohols, Pressure Compressible/
N2, etc.
etc.
Incompressible

Surface Laminar/

Tension Turbulent
Steady/Unsteady
Compressibility Density Viscosity
Vapor Viscous/Inviscid
Pressure
Chapter 1: Introduction Fluid Dynamics:
Chapter 2: Fluid Statics
Rest of Course
 Fluid Statics

• By definition, the fluid is at rest.

• Or, no there is no relative motion between
adjacent particles.
• No shearing forces is placed on the fluid.
• There are only pressure forces, and no shear.
• Results in relatively “simple” analysis
• Generally look for the pressure variation in the
fluid
 Pressure at a Point: Pascal’s Law
Pressure is the normal force per unit area at a
given point acting on a given plane within a
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) fluid mass of interest.
How does the pressure at a point vary with orientation of the plane passing
through the point?
Pressure Forces
F.B.D. Gravity Force Wedged Shaped Fluid
Mass

p is average pressure in the x, y, and z direction.

Ps is the average pressure on the surface
 is the plane inclination
 is the length is each coordinate direction, x, y, z
V = (1/2yz)*x
s is the length of the plane
is the specific weight
 Pressure at a Point: Pascal’s Law
For simplicity in our Free Body Diagram, the x-pressure forces
cancel and do not need to be shown. Thus to arrive at our solution
we balance only the the y and z forces:
Pressure Force Rigid body
Pressure Force motion in the y-
in the y-direction
on the plane in direction
on the y-face
the y-direction

Pressure Force Pressure Force Rigid body

in the z-direction in the plane in Weight of the
motion in the z-
on the z-face the z-direction Wedge
direction
Now, we can simplify each equation in each direction, noting that y and z can
be rewritten in terms of s:
 Pressure at a Point: Pascal’s Law
Substituting and rewriting the equations of motion, we obtain:

Math

Now, noting that we are really interested at point only, we let y and
z go to zero:

Pascal’s Law: the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest, or in motion, is

independent of the direction as long as there are no shearing stresses
present.
 Pressure at a Point: Pascal’s Law

p1xs
p2xs psxs

ps = p1 = p2

Note: In dynamic system subject to shear, the normal stress representing

the pressure in the fluid is not necessarily the same in all directions. In
such a case the pressure is taken as the average of the three directions.
 Pressure Field Equations
How does the pressure vary in a fluid or from point to point when no
shear stresses are present?
Consider a Small Fluid Element
p is pressure
 is specific weight
Surface Forces

Taylor Series

Body Forces

V = yzx

For simplicity the x-direction surface forces are not shown

 Pressure Field Equations
Looking at the resultant surface forces in the y-direction:

Similarly, looking at the resultant surface forces in the x and z-direction, we

obtain:

Expressing these results in vector form:

 Pressure Field Equations
Now, we note by definition, the “del” operator or gradient is the
following :

Then,

Now, rewriting the surface force equation, we obtain the following:

Now, we return the body forces, and we will only consider weight:
 Pressure Field Equations
Use Newton’s Second Law to Sum the Forces for a Fluid
Element:

m is the mass of the fluid element, and a is acceleration.

Then summing the surface forces and the body forces:

m

“Most General Form”

for No Shear
 Hydrostatic Condition: a = 0

0
Writing out the individual vector components:

This leads to the conclusion that for liquids or gases at rest, the
Pressure gradient in the vertical direction at any point in fluid
depends only on the specific weight of the fluid at that point. The
pressure does not depend on x or y.

Hydrostatic Equation
 Hydrostatic Condition: Physical Implications

•Pressure changes with elevation

•Pressure does not change in the horizontal x-y plane
•The pressure gradient in the vertical direction is negative
•The pressure decreases as we move upward in a fluid at rest
•Pressure in a liquid does not change due to the shape of the container
•Specific Weight  does not have to be constant in a fluid at rest
•Air and other gases will likely have a varying 
•Thus, fluids could be incompressible or compressible statically
 Hydrostatic Condition: Incompressible Fluids

The specific weight changes either through density or g, gravity. The

change in g is negligible, and for liquids  does not vary appreciable, thus most
liquids will be considered incompressible.

Starting with the Hydrostatic Equation:

We can immediately integrate since  is a constant:

where the subscripts 1 and 2 refer two different vertical levels as in the
schematic.
 Hydrostatic Condition: Incompressible Fluids
As in the schematic, noting the definition of h = z2 –z1:

Linear Variation with Depth

h is known as the pressure head. The type of pressure distribution is known

as a hydrostatic distribution. The pressure must increase with depth to hold
up the fluid above it, and h is the depth measured from the location of p2.

The equation for the pressure head is the following:

Physically, it is the height of the column of fluid of a specific weight, needed

to give the pressure difference p1 – p2.
Hydrostatic Condition: Incompressible Fluids
If we are working exclusively with a liquid, then there is a free surface
at the liquid-gas interface. For most applications, the pressure exerted
at the surface is atmospheric pressure, po. Then the equation is
written as follows:

The Pressure in a homogenous, incompressible fluid at rest depends on

the depth of the fluid relative to some reference and is not influenced by
the shape of the container.
Lines of constant Pressure

p = po
h1
p = p1
p = p2

For p2 = p = h + po
For p1 = p = h1 + po
 Hydrostatic Application: Transmission of Fluid Pressure

•Mechanical advantage can be gained with equality of pressures

•A small force applied at the small piston is used to develop a large force at the
large piston.
• This is the principle between hydraulic jacks, lifts, presses, and hydraulic controls
•Mechanical force is applied through jacks action or compressed air for example

A2
F2  F1
A1
 Hydrostatic Condition: Compressible Fluids
Gases such as air, oxygen and nitrogen are thought of as compressible, so
we must consider the variation of density in the hydrostatic equation:

dp
Note:  = g and not a constant, then   g
dz
p R is the Gas Constant
By the Ideal gas law: Thus,   T is the temperature
RT  is the density

Then,

For Isothermal Conditions, T is constant, To:

Hydrostatic Condition: U.S. Standard Atmosphere
Idealized Representation of the Mid-Latitude Atmosphere

Standard Atmosphere is used in

the design of aircraft, missiles
and spacecraft.

Stratosphere:
Isothermal, T = To

Troposphere:
Linear Variation, T = Ta - z
Hydrostatic Condition: U.S. Standard Atmosphere

Starting from,

Now, for the Troposphere, Temperature is not constant:

 is known as the lapse rate, 0.00650 K/m, and Ta is the temperature at

sea level, 288.15 K.

Substitute for temperature and Integrate:

pa is the pressure at sea level, 101.33 kPa, R is the gas constant, 286.9
J/kg.K
Pressure Distribution in the Atmosphere
 Measurement of Pressure
Absolute Pressure: Pressure measured relative to a perfect vacuum
Gage Pressure: Pressure measured relative to local atmospheric pressure
•A gage pressure of zero corresponds to a pressure that is at local
atmospheric pressure.
•Absolute pressure is always positive
•Gage pressure can be either negative or positive
•Negative gage pressure is known as a vacuum or suction
• Standard units of Pressure are psi, psia, kPa, kPa (absolute)
•Pressure could also be measured in terms of the height of a fluid in a column
•Units in terms of fluid column height are mm Hg, inches of Hg, inches of
H20,etc
Example: Local Atmospheric Pressure is 14.7 psi, and I measure a 20 psia (“a” is for absolute). What is
the gage pressure?

The gage pressure is 20 psia – 14.7 psi = 5.3 psi

If I measure 10 psia, then the gage pressure is -4.7 psi, or is a “vacuum”.

Measurement of Pressure: Schematic

-
+

+
 Measurement of Pressure: Barometers
The first mercury barometer was constructed in 1643-1644 by Torricelli. He
showed that the height of mercury in a column was 1/14 that of a water barometer,
due to the fact that mercury is 14 times more dense that water. He also noticed
Evangelista Torricelli that level of mercury varied from day to day due to weather changes, and that at
(1608-1647) the top of the column there is a vacuum.

Torricelli’s Sketch Schematic:

Animation of Experiment:

Note, often pvapor is very small,

0.0000231 psia at 68° F, and
patm is 14.7 psi, thus:
 Measurement of Pressure: Manometry
Manometry is a standard technique for measuring pressure using liquid
columns in vertical or include tubes. The devices used in this manner are
known as manometers.

The operation of three types of manometers will be discussed today:

1) The Piezometer Tube

2) The U-Tube Manometer
3) The Inclined Tube Manometer

The fundamental equation for manometers since they involve columns of

fluid at rest is the following:

h is positive moving downward, and negative moving upward, that is pressure

in columns of fluid decrease with gains in height, and increase with gain in
depth.
 Measurement of Pressure: Piezometer Tube
po Disadvantages:
1)The pressure in the container has to
be greater than atmospheric pressure.
2) Pressure must be relatively small to
maintain a small column of fluid.
Move Up the 3) The measurement of pressure must
Tube be of a liquid.
Closed End “Container”
pA (abs)

Moving from left to right: pA(abs) - 1h1 = po

Rearranging: p A  po   1h1
Gage Pressure

Then in terms of gage pressure, the equation for a Piezometer Tube:

Note: pA = p1 because they are at the same level

 Measurement of Pressure: U-Tube Manometer
Note: in the same fluid we can
Closed End “jump” across from 2 to 3 as
“Container” they are at the sam level, and
thus must have the same
pA pressure.

The fluid in the U-tube is known

as the gage fluid. The gage fluid
type depends on the application,
i.e. pressures attained, and
whether the fluid measured is a
gas or liquid.

Since, one end is open we can work entirely in gage pressure:

Moving from left to right: pA + 1h1 - 2h2 =0
Then the equation for the pressure in the container is the following:

If the fluid in the container is a gas, then the fluid 1 terms can be ignored:
 Measurement of Pressure: U-Tube Manometer
Measuring a Pressure Differential
Closed End
pB “Container”
Final notes:
1)Common gage fluids are Hg and
Closed End Water, some oils, and must be
“Container” immiscible.
pA 2)Temp. must be considered in very
accurate measurements, as the gage
fluid properties can change.
3) Capillarity can play a role, but in
many cases each meniscus will cancel.

Moving from left to right: pA + 1h1 - 2h2 - 3h3 = pB

Then the equation for the pressure difference in the container is the following:
 Measurement of Pressure: Inclined-Tube Manometer
This type of manometer is used to measure small pressure changes.

pB
pA
h2

l2 h2

h2
 sin   h2  l2 sin 
l2
Moving from left to right: pA + 1h1 - 2h2 - 3h3 = pB
Substituting for h2:
Rearranging to Obtain the Difference:
If the pressure difference is between gases:
Thus, for the length of the tube we can measure a greater pressure differential.
 Measurement of Pressure: Mechanical and Electrical Devices

Spring
Bourdon Gage:

Diaphragm: