Hydrostatic Forces on Submerged Bodies

Brian G. Higgins∗
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
University of California
Davis, CA 95616

May 11, 2013

Introduction
When a body is submerged in a liquid in hydrostatic equilibrium, the fluid
exerts a force on all surfaces with a pressure given by the equations of
hydrostatics. In these notes we will illustrate how calculate the net force
acting on surfaces due to the hydrostatic pressure. The hydrostatic force
per unit area acting on a surface is given by
 
force per unit area
= t (nn) = −n
np (1)
acting on a surface

Here t (nn) is the stress vector (also called the traction vector) and n is the
outward directed unit normal from the surface. The convention we use is
that n points into the phase that exerts the force on the surface. The total
force acting on the surface is then
Z Z
F = t (nn) dA = − n p dA (2)
A A

Note that the above equation is a vector equation and thus can be decom-
posed into its scalar components in 3 mutually orthogonal directions. In
these notes we will illustrate how to compute the force on a submerged
body. We will consider two cases: (i) on a submerged plane surface and (ii)
submerged curved surface.
∗
email: bghiggins@ucdavis.edu

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Forces Acting on Plane Surfaces
Example 1:
Consider a dam wall that has a gate of height H and width W . Let hb be
the height measured from the bottom of the gate to the surface of the dam
where the atmospheric pressure is p0 . A schematic of the dam wall with gate
is shown below. The task is to determine the net force acting on the gate.
We assume that the gravitational body force is acting in the −kk direction
(in the negative z direction). The equations of hydrostatics become

Figure 1: Hydrostatic Force on a Submerged Gate

∇p = ρ g = −ρ g k (3)
In component form the above vector equation becomes
∂p ∂p ∂p
= −ρ g, = 0, =0 (4)
∂z ∂x ∂y
Integrating gives the hydrostatic pressure field as a function of z:
p(z) = p0 + ρ g(hb − z) (5)
Note: the pressure field is measured relative to z = hb where p(hb ) = p0 .
Then the net force acting on the gate is
Z Z
F net = − n p dA − n 0 p0 dA (6)
A A

Noting that n = −n
n0 gives
Z
F net = − (p − p0 ) n dA (7)
A

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Then substituting for p(z) gives the following expression for the net force
Z Z H
F net = − ρ g(hb − z) n dA = −n
nρgW (hb − z)dz (8)
A 0

Here W is the width of the gate in the y−coordinate direction. Integrating

over z gives
H2
 
F net = −nn ρ g W hb H − (9)
2
Recall that H = hb − ht , so that we can write

H2
 
1
hb H − = hb (hb − ht ) − (hb − ht )2
2 2
(10)
h2b h2
 
(hb + ht )
= − t = (hb − ht )
2 2 2

Thus the net force on the plate becomes

(hb + ht )
F net = −n
n ρ g W (hb − ht ) (11)
2
But the area of the plate is

A = W (hb − ht ) = W H (12)

which gives
(hb + ht )
F net = −n
nρgA = −n
n ρ g A h̄ (13)
2
Note that h̄ = (hb + ht )/2 is the centroid of the plate. The x−component
of the net force is
(hb + ht )
Fnet,x = F net · i = −n
n · iρ g A = ρ g A h̄ (14)
2
Recall that n = −ii, thus

(hb + ht )
Fnet,x = ρ g A = ρ g A h̄ (15)
2

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 Figure 2: Hydrostatic Force on an Inclines Submerged Gate

Example 2:
In the following example (taken from Whitaker, 1968) we consider the forces
acting on a submerged gate oriented at an angle θ to the horizontal as shown
in the following figure: The net force acting on the gate is
Z Z
F net = − n p dA − n 0 p0 dA (16)
A A

Since n = −n
n0 we obtain
Z
F net = − (p − p0 ) n dA (17)
A

From the equation of hydrostatics we have

∂p
= −ρ g, p = p0 at z = L (18)
∂z
Thus
p = p0 + ρ g(L − z) (19)
To evaluate the area integral in Eq. (17 we introduce the new coordinate
η such that the differential area of the gate is dA = W dη, where W is the
width of the gate. Then the net force on the gate becomes
Z η=l/ cos θ
F net = − ρ g(L − z) n W dη (20)
η=0

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Now since
z dz
η= =⇒ dη = (21)
sin θ sin θ
we have
Z z=l
1
F net =− ρ g(L − z) n W dz
sin θ z=0
(22)
 
n l
=− ρgW l L−
sin θ 2

The outward directed unit normal n can be expressed in terms of the Carte-
sian coordinate system as

n = − sin θ i + cos θ k (23)

Thus the x-component of the force acting on the gate is

 
n ·i l
Fnet,x = F net · i = − ρgW l L−
sin θ 2
(24)
 
l
=ρgW l L−
2

Likewise the z-component of the force acting on the gate is

 
n ·k l
Fnet,x = F net · k = − ρgW l L−
sin θ 2
(25)
 
l
= − cot θρ g W l L −
2

Example 3:
Suppose the gate in Example 2 has a hinge at z = 0. The net force that
arises from the hydrostatic pressure field in Example 2 gives rise to a net
torque on the gate. Let us compute this torque.
The local torque on the gate is given by the cross product of the moment
arm with the local force. Thus is r = λ η is the moment arm (where λ is
a unit vector oriented along the plate in the direction of the coordinate η),

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and −n n(p − p0 )W dη is the differential force, then the net torque on the plate
is given by
Z η=l/ sin θ
Γ net = r × {−nn(p − p0 )W }dη (26)
0
Now by construction λ and n are orthogonal so that

r × n = η λ × n = −jj η (27)

Hence the net torque on the gate is

Z η=l/ sin θ
Γnet = j ρ g(L − z) W η dη (28)
0

Next we use Eq. (21) to express z in the above integral in terms of η so that
Z η=l/ sin θ
Γ net = j ρ g(L − η sin θ) W η dη (29)
0

Integrating gives

l2 l3
 
Γ net = jρ g W L −
2 sin(θ)2 3 sin(θ)2
(30)
l2
 
ρgW L l
=j −
sin(θ)2 2 3

Forces Acting on Curved Surfaces

The technique used to find the net force acting on a curved surface is to make
use of the projected area theorem. Suppose we have an arbitrary shaped
body submerged in a liquid. Then the force acting on this body is
Z
F = − n p dA (31)
A

Next, we suppose the pressure in the fluid is given by

p = p0 + ρ g(L − z) (32)

The projected area theorem states (for details see separate notes) that

i · n dA = dAx , j · n dA = dAy , k · n dA = dAz (33)

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Thus the surface area n dA that appears in Eq. (31) can be expressed as
n dA = i dAx + j dAy + k dAz (34)
Substituting the above result into Eq. (31) gives
Z Z Z
F = −ii p dAx − j p dAy − k p dAz (35)
Ax Ay Az

What the above formula shows is that we can always perform the required
integration over a more tractable domain by projecting the surface area
onto 3 mutually orthogonal planes. We will illustrate the method with the
following examples.

Example 4:
Consider the following simple example. A hemispherical dome is built into
the bottom of a tank for viewing as shown in Figure 3 below. You are
required to determine the net force acting on the hemispherical dome due
to the hydrostatic pressure of the water We start the analysis by computing

Figure 3: Hydrostatic tank for Example 4

the pressure field in the tank using the equations of hydrostatics

∂p
= −ρ g, p = p0 at x = L (36)
∂z
Integrating gives
p = p0 + ρ g(L − z) (37)
The net force acting on the dome is given by
Z Z
F net = − n p dA − n 0 p0 dA (38)
A A

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Since n = −n
n0 we obtain
Z
F net = − (p − p0 )n
n dA (39)
A

The vertical component of the net force is

Z
Fnet,z = F net · k = − (p − p0 ) n · k dA (40)
A

Recall that from the projected area theorem

n · k dA = dAz = dx dy (41)

Thus the Eq. (35) becomes

Z
Fnet,z = F net · k = −ρ g (L − z) dAz (42)
Az

The projected area Az is a disk of radius R centered at (0, 0) that lies in

the x-y plane. To evaluate this integral we need to establish √ the limits of
integration.
√ The variable y at any x location varies from y = − R2 − x2 to
y = R2 − x2 while the limits for x are x = −R to x = R. Thus we have
Z Z √ 2 2
x=R y= R −x
!
Fnet,z = −ρ g √ (L − z) dy dx (43)
x=−R y=− R2 −x2

All that we need to do next is to establish the dependence of p(z) on x and

y. Consider a vertical plane that slices through the hemispherical dome at
any location x. It is plain that the height z varies along the intersection of
the plane and the dome, and thus so does the pressure. The equation for
the intersection is p
z = R 2 − x2 − y 2 (44)
Thus our integral for the net force becomes
√ !
Z x=R Z y= R2 −x2
Fnet,z = − ρ g √ L dy dx
x=−R y=− R2 −x2

(45)
√ !
Z x=R Z y= R2 −x2 p
+ρg √ R2 − x2 − y 2 dy dx
x=−R y=− R2 −x2

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The integrals evaluate to
Z y=√R2 −x2 p
√ L dy = 2L R 2 − x2
y=− R2 −x2

√
Z y= R2 −x2 p 1
√ R2 − x2 − y 2 dy = π(R2 − x2 )
y=− R2 −x2 2
(46)
Z x=R p
2L R2 − x2 dx = π R2 L
x=−R

x=R
2π R3
Z
1
π(R2 − x2 )dx =
x=−R 2 3
The magnitude of the net force is then
2πR3
 
2
Fnet,z = −ρ g πR L − (47)
3
so that
2πR3
 
2
F net = −kk ρ g πR L − (48)
3
This shows that the net vertical force equals the weight of the water above
the hemispherical dome and acts in the −kk direction.

Example 5:
The following example is adapted from Whitaker 1968. Consider a sphere
that is submerged in a fluid as shown in the following figure The pressure in
the fluid is given by the equations of hydrostatics We start the analysis by
computing the pressure field in the tank using the equations of hydrostatics
∂p
= −ρ g, p = p0 at x = L (49)
∂z
Integrating gives
p = p0 + ρ g(L − z) (50)
The force acting on RHS of the sphere is then
Z Z
F net = − n p dA = − (p0 + ρ g(L − z))n
n dA (51)
A A

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 Figure 4: Hydrostatic tank for Example 5

The x-component of this force is

Z
Fx = F · i = − (p0 + ρ g(L − z))n
n · i dA
A
(52)
Z
= {p0 + ρ g(L − z)} dy dz
Ax

The limits of integration are

p p
− R2 − (z − l)2 ≤ y ≤ R2 − (z − l)2
(53)
l−R≤z ≤l+R

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Thus the force acting on the RHS of the sphere is
Z Z √ 2
z=l+R y=2 R −(z−l)
!
Fx = − p0 √ dy dz
z=l−R y=− R2 −(z−l)2

√ !
Z z=l+R Z y= R2 −(z−l)2
+ρgL √ dy dz (54)
z=l−R y=− R2 −(z−l)2

√ !
Z z=l+R Z y= R2 −(z−l)2
−ρg √ dy zdz
z=l−R y=− R2 −(z−l)2

This gives

Fx = −p0 π R2 − ρ g L π R2 + ρ g l π R2
(55)
= −{p0 + ρ g(L − l)}πR2

Closing Remarks
The above development can be found in most textbooks on fluid mechanics.
The following references were helpful in preparing these notes.

References
[1] G. K. Batchelor, Introduction to Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University
Press,1967

[2] A. Esposito, Fluid Mechanics with Applications, Prentice Hall,1998

[3] F. S. Sherman, Viscous Flow, McGraw-Hill, 1990

[4] S. Whitaker, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Kreiger Publishing

Co.,1968

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