IMPACT FORCES

1

IMPACT FORCES

I.
THE STUDY OF THE ACTION OF A JET OF WATER
ON SOLID SURFACE WITH DIFFERENT SHAPES

II.
THE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF STIKE ANGLE
ON HYRODINAMICS FORCES FOR PLANE SURFACES

1 GOALS
The aim of this practical work is to illustrate one of the theorems of hydrodynamics, The Theorem
of Momentum (Eulers theorem), which stands at the basics of functioning of many hydraulic
machines. In a direct way, the conclusions of this practical work are useful in building of Pelton
turbines, of wind turbines (Savonius), anemometers with cups and so on.

Also, the calculations made on the hypothesis of an ideal fluid show us the difference between the
theoretical values and the values obtained through experimental means.

2 THEORETICAL APPROCH
21 The momentum theorem
In Mechanics, the momentum of a material point having the weight m that moves with velocity
r

is defined as the product m
r
. For a system of material points, the total momentum has the
following expression:

=
i i
m M
r
r
(1)

The Momentum Theorem:

=
ext i i
F m
dt
d
r
r
(2)

state that the time rate of change of the momentum for a system of material points equals the sum
of all the external forces which are acting upon the system.

In order to transpose this theorem in the field
of Fluid Mechanics, an incompressible fluid of
density is considered in steady flow
through a stream tube control volume (see
figure 1).

Note that many of fluids transport cases of
technical interest take place in such stream
tubes, with or without bifurcation (ducts).

At an arbitrary time, the fluid occupies the


Fig. 1 General stream tube control volume
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control volume bounded by a surface
ABCD
S (control surface). The lateral surfaces
1
S ,
2
S are
perpendicular on the direction of the flow. At two successive moments of time
1
t and
2
t , the mass
of fluid will occupy the positions ABCD, respectively ' D ' C ' B ' A . The time rate of change of the
momentum can be expressed by the difference of the momentum of the fluid at the two times
1
t
and
2
t :
1 2
M M M d
r r r
= .

Because we considered a flow developed in steady state conditions, the mass momentum of the
fluid between sections ' B ' A and CD remains constant in time. Therefore, the time rate of change
of the momentum is given by the difference between the momentum of the fluid contained into the
surface
' A ' ABB
S and the momentum of the fluid contained in the surface
' C ' CDD
S :
= = = =
1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 2
dt S dt S V V m m M M M d
r r r r r r
r r r


) ( Q
dt
M d
1 2
r r
r
= (3)

Thus relation (3) becomes:

=
ext 1 2
F ) ( Q
r
r r

(4)

where: Q the flow rate;
2 , 1
average velocities of the fluid in the cross-sections
1
S and
2
S .

Generally, the sum of all external forces which are acting upon fluid contained in the control
volume is:
sl
f
sl
p 2 p 1 p ext
F F F F G F
r r r r r r
+ + + + =

(5)

where: G
r
the gravitational force exerted on the mass of fluid from the control volume;
2 p 1 p
F , F
r r
the pressure forces exerted by the fluid from the stream tube, besides the
considered volume, which is acting on the fluid from control volume, through
the inflow surface
1
S , respectively the outflow surface
2
S (normal on this
surfaces and pointing inward over the surfaces;
ls
p
F
r
the force with which the lateral wall of the stream tube belonging to the
control surface acts upon the inside fluid;
ls
f
F
r
the viscous friction force which is created between the fluid and lateral
surface of the stream tube.

Replacing relation (5) in (4) we obtain:
sl
f
sl
p 2 p 1 p 1 2
F F F F G ) ( Q
r r r r r
r r
+ + + + = (6)
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Observations: 1 In order to apply the Momentum theorem it is sufficient to know flow parameters
on the control surface and not to know what happens inside it. More specifically, it is
to be known the pressures and the velocities on this surface.
2 For practical applications of (5.41), the system has to be studied in a fixed
reference frame, conveniently chosen.

22 Hydrodynamic forces
We call hydrodynamic force, also action force, or impact force, with which a jet acts upon the
bodies with which it comes in contact (the hydrodynamic force
h
F
r
is the vector with same modulus
but counter the force
sl
p
F
r
).

One of the applications of the momentum theorem refers to the theoretical computation of the
hydrodynamic (impact) forces. For example lets consider the case of a jet of fluid with circular
section, which hits under the angle a flat plate. On the assumption, the diameter of the jet is
significantly smaller that the diameter of the plate.










Fig. 2 - Hydrodynamic force on large flat plate

As shown in figure 7.1, near the wall, the jet is radially deflected around the impact point, as the
exit section is cylindrical.

The control volume is chosen so that the first section is located upstream, where the jet is not
perturbed by the plate, and the second one after the contact point, where the velocities of the fluid
particles become parallel with the plate. Because the jet freely develops in the environment, the
pressure forces distributed on the control surface are balancing themselves. The equation of the
momentum theorem for the control volume is:
sl
f h 1 2
F F G ) ( Q
r r r
r r
+ = . (7)

If the friction forces and the weight of the fluid inside the control volume are neglected (they are
smaller in comparison with the pressure forces) the velocities in the characteristic section are
equals:
2 1
= = . Projecting relation (7) on ox axis, the equation for the hydrodynamic force is:
sin Q F
h
= , (8)

where the flow rate is:

IMPACT FORCES

4

4
d
Q
2

= . (9)

Thus:

sin d
4
F
2 2
h
= , or

sin
d
Q

4
F
2
2
h
= (10)

If the dimension of the plate is comparable with that of the jet, as shown in figure 3, the theoretical
hydrodynamic force is:
) cos 1 ( d
4
F
2 2
h

= , (11)

where is the angle under the jet is deviated.






Fig. 3 - Hydrodynamic force on small flat plate

The equation (11) is also valid for other types of surfaces: concave, convex, and others.
In order to characterize different types of surfaces from the point of view of the shape, function of
the hydrodynamic force which is developed by a jet acting upon the surfaces, it is defined the
following shape coefficient:
ideal h
h
f
F
F
c = , where A
2

F
2
ideal h
= and
4
d
A
2

= . (12)

where
f
c represent the ration between the hydrodynamic force
h
F which act upon the surface and
the ideal hydrodynamic
ideal h
F force equal with the product between the dynamic pressure and the
linear cross-sectional area.

3 THE LABORATORY PRINCIPLE.
The installation used for this practical work is a multifunctional stand, shown in figure 4. It is made
of: water tank 1, centrifugal pumps 2 and 4 operated by the electrical motors 3 and 5, pipe network
6, bail out nozzle 7, measuring balance of the hydrodynamic force device 8, protected by a
transparent vat 9 and differential piezometer 10.

The balance, presented in detail in Figure 6, is composed of: balance arm 11, on which the
counter-weight of equilibration is fixed 12 and graduated ruler 13 serving for determination of the
position of the counter-weight 14. The entire assembly is fixed on the oscillation axis 15 of the
balance through a socket from which is caught the arm of the socket 16, in which is fixed through
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F
i
g
.

4

-


A
x
o
n
o
m
e
t
r
i
c

v
i
e
w

o
f

t
h
e

e
x
p
e
r
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m
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n
t
a
l

s
e
t
-
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p



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the blocking screw 17, surfaces 18, presented in details in Figure 5. The equilibrium position is
marked by the needle 19.









Fig. 5 - Studied surfaces: S1 plane, S2 concave, S3 double concave, S4 - convex

For the second practical work, plane surfaces with different strike angles are used: 30, 45, 60
and 75.




















Fig. 6 - 3D perspective of the balance device

Calculus of the hydrodynamic forces, which are created by the jet of water over the studied
surfaces, is made according to the balance principle. The two equilibrium situations are presented
in Figures 7a and 7b.
















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According to Figure 7a:
= + +
2 h
l GM c GE a GS b F (13)

c GE a GS l GM b F
2 h
+ = (14)

According to Figure 7b:
1
l GM c GE a GS = + (15)

Replacing relation (15) in (14) one obtains:
) l l ( GM b F
1 2 h
= (16)

And finally:
GM
b
l
F
h
= , where ) l l ( l
1 2
= (17)

4 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
adjust the valves from the pipe network, according with used pump: for example, in case if
pump 2 is used, the following valves V1, V2, V4, V6 must to be closed and V3 and V5, fully
opened; in case if pump 4 is used, V2, V3, V4, V6 must to be closed and V1 and V5, fully
opened;
lift the support 20 of the balance device and fix the surface that will be studied in the clamping
socket, with the help of the blocking screw; brought the support is its initial position;
equilibrate the balance by a proper positioning of the counter-weight; the value
1
l , measured
with the gradated ruler is written in Table 1;
start the installation and open the valve V4 until a value Q [l/min] of the discharge, determined
from the calibration curve of the nozzle ) h ( f Q = (see figure 9
equilibrate again the balance with the aid of the counter weight and read the value
2
l ; close the
valve V5
change the surface and open completely the tap T5; repeat the previous operations for each
surface;

Observation: In order to compare the action forces determined for each surface, the level
change h [mm] will be maintained constant (it means in fact a constant flow rate).

finally, the installation will be stopped;

The final step consist in the computation of:
the speed of the jet of water in the exit section nozzle, from the equation of the flow rate
(9), ( = d 15 mm);
the ideal hydrodynamic force: A
2

F
2
ideal h
= , equation (12) and theoretical
hydrodynamic force according with the relation (10) - ( = 1000 kg/m
3
);
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the real action forces of the water spray upon the surfaces according to relation (17),
(GM = 11.21 N and b = 250 mm);
the shape coefficient
f
c according to the relation (12) and
e
c according to the relation
(18);
for the second practical work, the dependence between hydrodynamic force and the
strike angle will be representing (the aspect of this is presented in figure 8).

Observation: From the energetically efficiency point of view it is possible to define a
coefficient
e
c , to establish which type of surface take more hydraulics energy from the jet
of water. If we consider the plane surface as the reference, this coefficient can be defined
as ratio between the real impact force acting on a surface and the real impact force on
plane surface with a value of strike angle by 90.

surface arbitrary an on acting h
surface plane the on acting h
e
F
F
c =
(18)













Fig. 8 Variation of impact forces with strike angle

Table 1
h Q
ideal h
F
[mm] [m
3
/s] [m/s] [N]


Table 2
1
l
2
l
l thoretical h
F
h
F
f
c
e
c
Surface
[mm] [mm] [mm] [N] [N] [-] [-]
S1:


S2:


S3:


S4:



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Fig. 9 - Calibration curve of the nozzle