Application Examples

Feeder Gates for Canal

Gate Valves for

Spillway Control
Applications (cont.)

Spillway Drum Gates:

hollow inside, use
buoyancy to control the
position of the gate.
 Hydrostatic Force on an Inclined Plane Surface
Assume atmoshperic condition on the dF  PdA   hdA   ghdA
other side of the surface
  gy sin q dA
Free surface
Integrate over the entire surface
q x FR   dF   g sin q  ydA
h y
x Define centroid of the area y C
dF
1
yC 
A  ydA, so that

FR   gAyC sin q   gAhC

In order to find equilavent system,
need to make sure that the moment
of the resultant force must equal to
y the moment of the distributed force.
 O Hydrostaic forces
FR Taking Mmoment about the x-axis: y'FR   yPdA
A

y '  g sin q yC A    gy 2 sin q dA   g sin q  y 2 dA

A A

Recognize that  y 2 dA  I xx (area moment of inertia about O)

A

I xx
Therefore, y'=
Ay C
O Also, from parallel axis theorem, we can relate I to I ,
xx ˆˆ
xx

moment of inertia about the centroid of the area (can be

found in table)
I xx
I xx = I xx
ˆˆ  Ay 2
C , therefore, y'=y C  ˆˆ

AyC
I xy I xy
ˆˆ
Similarly, x'=  xC 
Ay C AyC
 Example
The square flood gate (2m by 2m) is hinged along its
y’ bottom as shown. Determine the moment at the hinge in
2m
order to hold the gate steady.
O
First, find the resultant force:
hinge F   gh A  (1000)(9.8)(1)(2  2)  39200( N )
R C

Then, determine the point of action:

1 (2)(2)3
I xxˆ ˆ 12 1 4
y'=yC   (1)   1   (m)
AyC (2  2)(1) 3 3
As expected, it falls at a depth 2/3 of the total depth.

x The holding moment (M) on the hinge O will be

4
 O
M  M  FR (2 
3
)  0,

M  18479( N .m )
y
 Example (cont.)
x If the square gate is replaced by a circular-
y’
2m shaped gate as shown, recalculate the
holding moment.

Again, find the resultant force first:

FR   ghC A  (1000)(9.8)(1) (1) 2  30772( N )
y Next, the line of action:
I 1  R 4
1 5
y'=yC  xˆ xˆ  1  4 2  1   (m)
AyC  R (1) 4 4

The holding moment:

5 3
 O
M  M  FR (2 
4
)  M 
4
FR  0

M  23079( N .m)
 Example (cont.)
45°
If the square gate is placed at an angle of 45° as
2m shown, recalculate the holding moment again.
y’ Note: the y axis has been redefined to follow the
gate for convenience.

First, calculate the resultant force:

y
FR   ghC A  (1000)(9.8)(1)(2 2  2 2)  78400( N )
Note: the h stays the same and is independent
of the incline angle, however, the gate area increases.
1 (2 2)(2 2)3
I 2 2 12
y'=y C  xxˆ ˆ  
AyC 2 (2 2  2 2)  2 2 
 2
2 4 2
y'  2  
3 3
The holding moment: M=FR (2 2  4 2 )  73916( N .m)
3
 An interesting observation
When the gas tank is low, the low fuel light will lit to warn the driver. Have you
noticed that the light will not always stay on for a period of time. It turns off
when either you accelerate (decelerate) or climb (descend) on a sloped road.
Can you explain this phenomenon by using the principle of fluid statics.

Accelerating (climbing) Decelerating (descending)

Fuel level transducer

 Hydrostatic balance can be applied to a small fluid element as shown
dp
pA  ( p  dp ) A  mg   Agdy,    g , integrate from fluid element to
dy
Free surface, p=p the free surface p( h)  p   gh

p+dp h Example: If a container of fluid is accelerating

y with an acceleration of ax to the right as shown below,
the free surface of the fluid will incline with an angle
p a as shown.

x p p+dp

dp
ax pA  ( p  dp ) A  ma x   Adxa x ,    ax
dx
dp
dy  g ax a 
tan(a )    , a  tan 1  x 
dx dp g  g 
dy  ax
a
dx