TRANSLATION AND ROTATION OF LIQUID MASSES

CE 411 (FLUID MECHANICS)

 RELATIVE EQUILIBRIUM

• a fluid may be subjected to translation or rotation at

constant acceleration without relative motion
between particles
• the fluid is free from shear
• there is generally no motion between fluid and the
containing vessel
RELATIVE EQUILIBRIUM
 TRANSLATION OF FLUID

• HORIZONTAL MOTION
for horizontal motion, the surface of the liquid will
become an inclined plane
the slope of the plane will be determined by:
 TRANSLATION OF FLUID

• VERTICAL MOTION
for vertical motion, the pressure (in psf or Pa) at any
point in the liquid is given by:

Where: + sign = constant upward acceleration

- sign = constant downward acceleration
 ROTATION OF FLUID

• ROTATION OF FLUID in OPEN VESSELS

the form of the free surface of a liquid in a rotating
vessel is that of a paraboloid of revolution

any vertical plane through the axis of rotation that

cuts the fluid will produce a parabola
 ROTATION OF FLUID

• ROTATION OF FLUID in OPEN VESSELS

CF = Centrifugal Force
W = Gravitational Force
N = Normal Force
 ROTATION OF FLUID

• ROTATION OF FLUID in OPEN VESSELS

Where: x, y = coordinates
ω = angular velocity (rad/s)
 ROTATION OF FLUID

• ROTATION OF FLUID in CLOSED VESSELS

the pressure in a closed vessel will be increased by
rotating the vessel
the pressure increase b/w a point in the axis of
rotation and a point x distance away from the axis is:
 ROTATION OF FLUID

• ROTATION OF FLUID in CLOSED VESSELS

the increase in pressure head is:

the linear velocity head is:

 TRANSLATION OF FLUID
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1:
A rectangular tank 20 ft long by 6 ft deep by 7 ft wide contains
3 ft of water. If the linear acceleration horizontally in the
direction of the tank’s length is 8.05 ft/s2, determine the (a) total
force due to water acting on each end of the tank; and (b) the
force needed to accelerate the liquid mass.

If the tank is filled with water and accelerated in the direction of

its length at the rate of 5 ft/s2, how many gallons of water are
spilled.
 TRANSLATION OF FLUID

SAMPLE PROBLEM 2:

A cubic tank is filled with 1.5 m of oil (s.g. = 0.752).

Determine the force acting on the side of the tank
when the acceleration is (a) 4.9 m/s2 vertically
upward and (b) 4.9 m/s2 vertically downward.
 ROTATION OF FLUID
SAMPLE PROBLEM:
An open cylindrical tank, 6 ft high and 3 ft in diameter, contains 4.5 ft
of water. If the cylinder rotates about its geometric axis,
(a) what constant angular velocity can be attained without spilling any
water?
(b) What are the pressures at the bottom (middle and edge) of the
tank when ω = 6 rad/s?

If the cylindrical tank is closed with the air space subjected to a

pressure of 15.5 psi, what are the pressures at the bottom (middle and
edge) of the tank when ω = 12 rad/s?