FLUID MECHANICS

TOPIC 003: PRESSURE

A. PRESSURE
Pressure
  – measurement of the force per unit area on a certain
fluid on the surface of a closed container.

Where P = Pressure ; Pascal, psi, kips

F = Unit Force ; N, lbf
A = Cross-sectional Area ; m2, in2, ft2
A. PRESSURE

There are two pressure references used to measure fluid

pressure, namely, the true zero and the atmospheric pressure.
When the pressure is measured with respect to the true zero
reference, it is regarded as the absolute pressure.
However, the pressure with respect to the atmospheric
pressure, it is said to be gage pressure.
B. TYPES OF PRESSURE
 
A. Gage Pressure – indicates the difference between the
atmospheric and pressure at a given location. It is usually
measured by means of pressure measurement devices such
as manometers or gage meters.

Usually, gage pressure is a function of certain elevations.

Hence,

NOTE: A negative gage pressure indicates vacuum.

B. TYPES OF PRESSURE
 
B. Atmospheric Pressure - pressure exerted by the
atmosphere.
B. TYPES OF PRESSURE
C.  Absolute Pressure – difference between atmospheric
pressure and a vacuum and is the sum of the gage and
atmospheric pressure.
B. TYPES OF PRESSURE
Variations of Pressure

Absolute Pressure
Gage Pressure
Reference: Atmospheric
Pressure

Vacuum

Absolute Pressure Atmospheric Pressure

Reference: Absolute
 C. HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
Hydrostatic
  Pressure – pressure due to the depth of a certain
fluid.

Standard Equation of Fluid Statics applied to Liquids:

 P = P +
h1
2 1 2

1
h Where P1 = h1
h2 P2 =

2
C. HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
1st Law of Pascal
.. states that the pressure at any point of the fluid at rest are
constant in all direction.

pz

px = py = pz
px

py
C. HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
2nd Law of Pascal also known as “Pressure Transmission
Law”
1. Pressure at the same level are equal.
2. Add hydrostatic pressure when going down the fluid.
3. Subtract hydrostatic pressure when going up the fluid.
D. PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT DEVICES
Manometers – an instrument which is a U-shaped glass
tube used in laboratories to measure pressure.
Types of Manometers
a. Piezometers – simplest form of manometers which
is tapped into the wall of pressure conduit for the
purpose of measuring pressure.
b. Open Manometer – is a tube bent into a U-shaped to
contain one or more fluids of different specific gravities.
c. Closed Manometer (Differential Manometer) – both
legs are closed. Often used to measure pressure
differences.
D. PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT
Piezometers
DEVICES
D. PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT
Open Manometers
DEVICES
D. PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT DEVICES
Closed Manometers (Differential)
D. PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT DEVICES
Ordinarily, it is easier to work in units of pressure head rather
than pressure for solving any manometer problem.
 Draw a sketch of the manometer approximately to scale.
 Decide on the fluid of which head are to be expressed. Water
is more desirable. In most cases, we suggest to use head in
water even if there is no water in the system.
 Starting at a point of know pressure head, number in order the
levels of contact of fluids of different specific gravities.
 Proceed from level to level, add pressure head in going down
and subtract pressure head in going up with due regard to the
specific gravity of the fluids
E. BOYLE’S LAW FOR IDEAL
GASES
Boyle’s Law states that..
 

“the absolute pressure exerted by a given mass of an ideal gas

is inversely proportional to the volume it occupies if the
temperature and amount of gas remains unchanged within a
closed system”
PRESSURE
Problem 001:
A hydraulic lifter is used to raise an 80 kN cargo truck. If oil
(s=0.82) acts on the piston under a pressure of 10 Mpa, what
diameter of piston is required?

ANS. D = 100 mm
PRESSURE
Problem 002:
A tank contains 1m of water and 0.5m of oil (s=0.8). Find the
absolute pressure at the bottom of the tank.

ANS. Pabs = 115.03 kPa

PRESSURE
Problem 003:
An airplane of mass 20,000 kg with a wing area of 60 sq. m is in
level flight. What is the average difference in pressure between the
upper and the lower surfaces of the wings in the atmosphere?

ANS. P = 0.032 atm

PRESSURE
Problem 004:
If air had a constant sp. Weight of 12.2 N/m3. What would be the
height of the atmosphere if the atmospheric pressure at sea level
is 102 kPa?

ANS. H = 8360.66 m
PRESSURE
Problem 005:
Assuming the specific weight of air to be constant at 12 N/m3, what is
the approximate height of the mountain if a mercury barometer at the
base of the mountain reads 654 mm and at the same instant, another
barometer opn top of the mountainr eads 480 mm?

ANS. H = 1933.17 m
PRESSURE
Problem 006:
In the piezometers of the figure shown, liquid stands 1.37 m above
point M. What is the pressure at M in kPa if the liquid is (a) water,
(b) oil (sp gr 0.90), (c) mercury, and (d) molasses (sp gr 1.5).

ANS. p = 13.44 kPa, p = 12.10 kPa,

p = 182.78 kPa, p = 20.16 kPa
PRESSURE
Problem 007:
In the figure given, fluid 2 is carbon tetrachloride and fluid 1 is
benzene. If patm = 101.5 kPa, determine the absolute
pressure at point A.

ANS. Pa = 105.9 kPa

PRESSURE
Problem 008:
A differential manometer is given. Calculate the pressure
between A and B.

ANS. Pa = 906 lb/ft3

PRESSURE
Problem 009:
Assuming normal barometric pressure, how deep in the ocean is
the point where the air bubble, upon reaching the surface, has six
times its volume that it had at the bottom?

ANS. h =50.13 m