NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

EN2711: Laboratory A

Laboratory Manual

For

Experiment Lab A - 1 (WR)

Hydrostatic forces – Centre of Pressure

Location: Hydraulics Studio, N1-B3b-28

 HYDROSTATIC FORCES - CENTRE OF PRESSURE

OBJECTIVE

 To determine the hydrostatic thrust acting on a plane surface immersed in

water; and

 To determine the position of the line of action of the thrust (centre of pressure)
and to compare the position determined experimentally and that determined
theoretically.

INTRODUCTION

Many engineering structures such as dams, flood control gates, fluid storage tanks,
etc. are essential components of large hydraulic structures. Many of these structures
are constructed to provide water supply, irrigation, etc., and they play an important role
in maintaining the well-being of mankind. The design of these components
necessitates the understanding of how fluid forces act. Such designs require not only
determination of the magnitude of the resultant force but also its point of action, which
is known as the "centre of pressure" (yP). With this information, engineers can
design the hydraulic structure to withstand the hydrostatic forces.

In this experiment, you will be using an immersed quadrant tank (Figure 1) pivoted at a
knife-edge pivot (see Figure 1) to determine the centre of pressure for different values
of hydrostatic force. This is achieved by computing the moment, M required to counter
that induced by the hydrostatic force due to water acting on the quadrant tank. The
restoring (counter-clockwise) moment needed to overcome the clockwise moment
(about the pivot) caused by water is effected by placing known weights on the
left-hand end of the apparatus (Figure 1). In the experiment, if the clockwise moment
(induced by water) just balances the counter-clockwise moment (caused by the
weights), the moment arm and hence the centre of pressure can be computed. The
latter can then be compared with that calculated theoretically. The detailed theory
governing this physical system is discussed in the Theory section.

Figure 1. Hydrostatic Forces Apparatus – the quadrant tank

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EQUIPMENT

Figure 1 shows a general layout of the hydrostatic force apparatus. Water is contained
in a rectangular tank into which a quadrant tank is immersed. The size of the quadrant
tank and the related dimensions of the set-up are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Dimensions of Quadrant Tank

In the above figure, C is the centroid of the projected area of the vertical face of the
quadrant tank. The centre of pressure of the vertical force acting on the same vertical
face is represented by the point P. The horizontal distance between the pivot point
(marked as a filled triangle) and the balance pan or weight hanger is referred to as L.
The vertical distance between the bottom of the quadrant face and the pivot arm is
known as H. The height and width of the quadrant face is D and B, respectively. The
approximate dimensions of these variables are shown in the following table.

Length of Balance L 0.275 m Distance from weight hanger to

pivot
Quadrant to Pivot H 0.200 m Base of quadrant face to pivot
Height of quadrant D 0.100 m Height of vertical quadrant face
Width of quadrant B 0.075 m Width of vertical quadrant face

(You may want to physically measure the exact dimensions of these variables for use
in your computation)

In the set-up, the line of contact of the knife-edge pivot coincides with the vertical face
of the quadrant tank. Thus, of the hydrostatic forces acting on the immersed quadrant,
only the horizontal thrust acting on the vertical face of the tank will exert a
(counter-clockwise) moment about the knife-edge axis.

In addition to the quadrant clamping screw the balance arm incorporates a balance
pan, an adjustable counterbalance and an indicator which shows when the arm is
horizontal. This is important as a horizontal arm coincides with the condition when the
clockwise moment just balances the counter-clockwise moment about the pivot.

The Perspex rectangular water tank may be leveled by adjusting the screwed feet.
Correct alignment is indicated by a circular spirit level mounted on the base of the tank.

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Water is admitted to the tank via a flexible tube and may be drained through a cock on
the base. The water supply may be obtained from the hydraulic bench, and the water
level indicated on a scale.

THEORY

The diagrammatic representation of the apparatus is shown earlier in Figure 2. In

considering the physics governing the hydrostatic forces acting on the quadrant tank,
and the moments exerted about the pivot, it is important to recognize that there are two
different cases: (1) partly submerged and (2) fully submerged. Whilst the theory
governing both these cases is the same, it, however, is clearer to consider them
separately.

Before we go into the detail of considering the forces and moments, it is important to
reiterate that the moments exerted by water on the curve surfaces of the quadrant
tank about the pivot point is ZERO. This is because the hydrostatic force acting on any
point on the quadrant is normal to the tangent to that point. Hence the resultant force
acting on the curve portion of the quadrant tank has no moment arm about the pivot
axis (the pivot is located at the centre of the quarter-circle). Therefore, the only
moment exerted by water about the pivot point is caused by the horizontal thrust acting
on the vertical face of the quadrant tank. In conducting the computation, all you need
to do is to equate the moment caused by the horizontal thrust about the pivot point to
that induced by the weight on the balance pan.

Partly Submerged Vertical Plane Surface

Figure 3 shows the diagrammatic representation of the apparatus when the quadrant
tank is partially submerged. This refers to the condition where the water level is equal
to or less than the top level of the vertical face of the quadrant tank.

Figure 3. Partly Submerged Vertical Plane Surface

The symbols in Figure 3 are defined below:

d= depth of immersion (for partially submerged case, d  D);

F= horizontal hydrostatic thrust acting on the vertical quadrant face;

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h= depth of centroid or vertical distance of centroid from water surface;
h’ = depth of centre of pressure or vertical distance from centre of pressure from
water surface; also known as yp; and
h” = distance of the line of action of thrust below the pivot or moment arm of the
horizontal thrust about the pivot point.

Based on the above definition, it can easily be determined that

h' (  y p )  h" ( H  d ) (1)

In the lecture, you will be shown that the hydrostatic thrust; F acting on a plane surface
can be computed using the following equation

F  gAh (2)

in which
A = area = Bd since we have a partially submerged rectangular surface;
h = vertical distance from water surface to the centroid of the plane surface = 0.5d;
 = density of water; and
g = gravitational acceleration

By substituting these into the governing equation, we get

Bd 2
F  g (3)
2
The moment (counter-clockwise), Mcc exerted by the thrust on the pivot point can be
computed using

Mcc = Fh” (4)

The clockwise moment, Mc that counteract the counter-clockwise moment is produced

by the weight applied to the hanger on the left-hand end of the balance arm, and can
be computed from

Mc = WL (5)

where W = mass x gravitational acceleration = mg.

By equating these two moments (eqs. 4 and 5) we get

mgL 2mL
h"   (6)
F Bd 2

Thus the centre of pressure, yp can be calculated from

2mL
y p  h" ( H  d )  ( H  d ) (7)
Bd 2

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Using equation (7), one may determine the experimental centre of pressure, and this
can be compared with that calculated theoretically. In your lecture, you will learn that
the centre of pressure can be determined using the following theoretical equation

Ic
y p( theory )  h  (8)
Ah

where Ic = second moment of area about the centroidal axis of the project area (
3
 bd for a rectangle)
12

In our set-up, the above equation can be reduced to

d
h"  H  (9)
3

In terms of yp, we get

2d
yp  (10)
3

Fully Submerged Vertical Plane Surface

Figure 4 shows the diagrammatic representation of the apparatus when the quadrant
tank is fully submerged. This refers to the condition where the water level is higher
than the top level of the vertical face of the quadrant tank, i.e., d > D.

Figure 3. Partly Submerged Vertical Plane Surface

Using eq. (2), one can obtain the horizontal thrust as

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  D
F  gBD d   (11)
 2

The symbols used in Figure 4 are the same as those defined in Figure 3. Similarly, by
balancing the clockwise and counter-clockwise moments, one can obtain the moment
arm, h” and the location of the centre of pressure, yp (or h’) respectively, as

mL
h" 

BD d  D 2  (12)

and

mL
y p  h" ( H  d )  ( H  d ) (13)
BDd  D2 

Using eq (8), one may determine the equations for the theoretical h” and centre of
pressure

h" 
D2
12

 dD
2

2

H d
 dD
2
 (14)

and

D D2
yp  d  
2 12 d  D  2
 (15)

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The following experimental procedure shall be carried out:

1. Before adding any weight onto the balance pan and water into the rectangular
tank, adjust the counterbalance screw to ensure that the beam is in a horizontal
position.

2. Add a weight to the balance pan.

3. Add water to the rectangular tank until the beam returns to the horizontal
position.

4. Record the mass (m) and the level of the water (d).

5. Repeat the procedure for a full range of weights.

6. Fill up the table in Appendix A.

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REPORT

LOG SHEET

(a) Complete the data sheet provided (Appendix A).

(b) Plot the experimental centre of pressure yP(expt) as a function of water depth,
d. Discussion the trend of your curve.

(c) Plot the experimental centre of pressure yP(expt) as a function of the

theoretical centre of pressure yP(theory). Do you expect the value to be the
same? Discuss.

(d) Discuss all sources of error that may have compromise the accuracy of your
results.

FORMAL REPORT

(a) In this manual, the argument is based on the consideration that the
hydrostatic forces acting on the curve faces of the quadrant tank produce no
moments about the pivot point. Sketch the hydrostatic forces acting on the
quadrant tank for both the partly submerged and fully submerged cases to
show that the hypothesis is correct.

(b) From another perspective, we may resolve all forces acting on the quadrant
tank into vertical and horizontal forces. Sketch these forces, and discuss
their magnitude. Hence, calculate the location of the vertical force acting on
the quadrant tank for 2 cases: a fully and a partly submerged surface (Hint:
you need to calculate the vertical force first).

(c) Starting from the first principle, verify eqs (10) and (14).

REFERENCES

Munson, B. R., Young, D. F. and Okiishi, T. H. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics,

4th Edition, John Wiley & Son, 2002.

Franzini, J. B. and Finnemoret E. J. Fluid Mechnics with Engineering Application,

10th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Streeter, V. L., Wylie, E. B. and Bedford, K. W. Fluid Mechanics, 9th Edition,

McGraw-Hill International Edition, 1998.

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Appendix A: Experimental Data

D B L H mass d W = mg Thrust h" (expt) h"(theory) yp(expt) yp(theory)

(m) (m) (m) (m) (kg) (m) (F) (F) (m) (m) (m) (m)
(eq. 3 or 11) (eq. 6 or 12) (eq. 9 or 14) (eq. 7 or 13) (eq 10 or 15)