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ME 3350 Fall 16 handout 2.6

HYDROSTATIC FORCE ON A CURVED SURFACE

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1: CURVED SURFACE BELOW FLUID

Consider a curved gate (radius: R ; width perpendicular to the page: w ) submerged at a depth
H in a fluid of density .

- What is the resultant hydrostatic force FR acting on the gate?

CALCULATION OF THE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF THE RESULTANT PRESSURE FORCE

The horizontal component of the hydrostatic force acting on a curved surface is equal to
the hydrostatic force acting on the vertical projection of the curved surface.

The vertical projection of the curved surface is a plane surface of height R and width
(perpendicular to the page) w .

At a depth z , the water exerts a pressure force dFH on the surface element dA along the
vertical projection of the gate:
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ME 3350 Fall 16 handout 2.6

The horizontal component of the resultant pressure force is obtained by integration:

Therefore:

CALCULATION OF THE VERTICAL COMPONENT OF THE RESULTANT PRESSURE FORCE

The vertical component of the hydrostatic force acting on a curved surface is equal to
the hydrostatic force acting on the horizontal projection of the curved surface plus the
weight of the fluid block.
(The fluid block is the fluid domain located between the horizontal projection of the curved
surface and the curved surface)

Therefore:

The weight of the fluid block is the weight of fluid in a quarter cylinder of radius R and width w :

The hydrostatic force acting on the horizontal projection of the curved surface is the product of
the pressure at depth z H and the horizontal projected area A (i.e., area of a rectangular
surface of length w and width R :
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ME 3350 Fall 16 handout 2.6

Since those two forces F and W act in the same direction, the vertical component of the
resultant hydrostatic force acting on the curved surface is:

EXAMPLE 2: CURVED SURFACE ABOVE FLUID

CALCULATION OF THE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF THE RESULTANT PRESSURE FORCE

The horizontal component of the hydrostatic force acting on a curved surface is equal to
the hydrostatic force acting on the vertical projection of the curved surface.

The calculation of the horizontal component of the resultant pressure force is similar to example
1. At a depth z , the fluid exerts a pressure force dFH on the surface element dA along the
vertical projection of the curved surface:
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ME 3350 Fall 16 handout 2.6

Therefore, the horizontal component of the resultant pressure force acting on the curved surface
is:

CALCULATION OF THE VERTICAL COMPONENT OF THE RESULTANT PRESSURE FORCE

The vertical component of the hydrostatic force acting on a curved surface is equal to
the hydrostatic force acting on the horizontal projection of the curved surface plus the
weight of the fluid block.

The weight of the fluid block is:

The hydrostatic force acting on the horizontal projection of the curved surface is:

Since those two forces act in opposite directions, the vertical component of the resultant
hydrostatic force on the curved surface is: