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Introduction
Many engineering structures such as dams, flood control gates and fluid storage tanks are
essential components of large hydraulic structures. Many of these structures are constructed to
provide water supply and irrigation and they play an important role in maintaining the well-
being of mankind. The design of these components necessitates the understanding of how fluid
forces act. Such designs require not only determination of the magnitude of the resultant force
but also its point of action, which is known as the “center of pressure” (Yp). With this
information, engineers can design the hydraulic structure to withstand the hydrostatic forces.
In this experiment, you will be using an immersed quadrant tank pivoted at a knife-edge pivot
to determine the center of pressure for different values of hydrostatic force. This is achieved by
computing the moment, M required to counter the moment induced by the hydrostatic force
due to water acting on the quadrant tank. The restoring (counter-clockwise) moment needed to
overcome the clockwise moment (about the pivot) caused by water is affected by placing
known weights on the left-hand end of the apparatus. In the experiment, if the clockwise
moment (induced by water) just balances the counter-clockwise moment (caused by the
weights), the moment arm and hence the center of pressure can be computed. The latter can
then be compared with that calculated theoretically.

Figure 1. Hydrostatic Forces Apparatus – Quadrant Tank

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Practical Applications of Hydrostatic Pressure

Hydrostatic pressure is of great significance across various industrial sectors.
Here is a list of industries and applications where hydrostatic pressure is particularly important:

Fluid storage and transportation: Accurate hydrostatic pressure measurement is crucial

for monitoring tank levels and managing liquid flow through pipelines. Helping to prevent
overflows, leaks, and other issues.

Marine engineering: Hydrostatic pressure is vital for designing and maintaining the stability
of ships, submarines, and other aquatic vessels. As it influences buoyancy, ballasting, and
structural design.

Civil engineering: Projects such as dam and reservoir design require a deep understanding
of hydrostatic pressure. To ensure structures can withstand the force exerted by the water they
contain. It is also essential for groundwater monitoring and the construction of tunnels and
underground structures.

Environmental monitoring and remediation: Hydrostatic pressure measurements are

useful in flood forecasting, water resource management, and contaminant migration analysis in
groundwater. Allowing for informed decision-making and effective remediation strategies.
In general, its proper understanding and application are essential for maintaining efficiency,
safety, and reliability in numerous industrial processes, designs and systems.

Objective
The objectives of this experiment are

 To determine the hydrostatic force due to water acting on a

 partially and
 fully submerged surface
 To determine the position of the line of action of the thrust (center of pressure) and to
compare the position determined experimentally and that determined theoretically.
 plot required graphs
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METHOD
The experiment was conducted in the laboratory with apparatus which allows to study the
center of pressures with a partially or totally submerged quadrant.
This unit consists of quadrant mounted on the arm of a balance that pivots around an axis.
When the quadrant is immersed in the water tank the force acting on the flat, rectangular front
surface will create a moment with relation to the support axis.
The forces which create these moments are the weight applied to the balance arm and
hydrostatic force on the vertical surface.
The tilting arm incorporates a pan and an adjustable counterweight. The tank has adjustable
legs that determine its correct leveling. The level reached by the water in the tank is indicated
on a graduated scale.

Equipments Used
The following is a list of materials and Equipments that were used during the experiment
1. hydraulic pressure apparatus (Armfield F1-12) – main equipment for the experiment
2. hydraulic bench to hold the apparatus accordingly.
3. Masses for balancing the quadrant when immersed in water.
4. Water as a fluid for the experiment
5. A jug and
6. Calipers or rulers, for measuring the actual dimension of the quadrant

Masses for balancing quadrant hydraulic pressure apparatus

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EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
The hydrostatic pressure apparatus consists of a specially constructed quadrant mounted on
the balance arm which pivots on knife edges and it is also correspond to the center of arc of the
quadrant. This means the only hydrostatic force acting on the rectangular end face will provide
a moment about the knife edge. The balance arm also has an adjustable counterbalance, and a
balance pan for the weights supplied.
The quadrant assembly is mounted on the top of a rectangular, transparent, reservoir tank
provided with adjustable footings (leveling screws) on its feet. And the reservoir tank allows
water to be admitted and drained to a required level by a valve. A spirit level attached to the
base of the tank assures accuracy of the alignment. A scale is provided on the side of the
quadrant to indicate the water level in the tank.
The hydrostatic force and its line of action (center of pressure) can be determined for different
water depths, with the quadrant’s vertical face either partially or fully submerged.
The torque exerted by the hydraulic thrust is measured by direct weighing. Test may be carried
out over a range of water level.
Balance arm Clamping screw knife edge pivot

Level indicator

Weight hunger

Counterbalance

Scale
Spirit level

Quadrant Drain valve

Adjustable feet
Hydraulic bench
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TECHNICAL DATA

Technical data

Tank capacity 5.5L

Distance between suspended mass and fulcrum (L) 275mm

Cross-sectional area of a quadrant (toroid) 7.5 * 10−3 m2

Total depth of completely immersed quadrant 160mm

Height of fulcrum above quadrant(D) 100mm

Pivot to the base (H) 200m

Width 75mm

Over all dimension

Length = 0.435m
Width = 0.31m
Height = 0.30m

THEORY
In this experiment, when the quadrant is immersed by adding water to the tank, the hydrostatic
force applied to the vertical surface of the quadrant can be determined by considering the
following

 The hydrostatic force at any point on the curved surfaces is normal to the surface and
resolves through the pivot point because it is located at the origin of the radii.
Hydrostatic forces on the upper and lower curved surfaces, therefore, have no net effect
– no torque to affect the equilibrium of the assembly because the forces pass through
the pivot.
 The forces on the sides of the quadrant are horizontal and cancel each other out (equal
and opposite).
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 The hydrostatic force on the vertical submerged face is counteracted by the balance
weight. The resultant hydrostatic force on the face can, therefore, be calculated from
the value of the balance weight and the depth of the water.
 The system is in equilibrium if the moments generated about the pivot points by the
hydrostatic force and added weight (=mg) are equal, i.e.:

mg∗L=F∗Y c………………... (1)

where:
m: mass on the weight hanger,
L: length of the balance arm
F: Hydrostatic force, and
yc: distance between the pivot and the center of pressure
Then, calculated hydrostatic force and center of pressure on the vertical face of the quadrant
can be compared with the experimental results.

HYDROSTATIC FORCE
The magnitude of the resultant hydrostatic force (F) applied to an immersed surface is given by:
F=PcA=ρgYcA …………………… (2)
where:
Pc: pressure at centroid of the immersed surface,
A: area of the immersed surface,
ỹc: centroid of the immersed surface measured from the water surface,
ρ: density of fluid, and
g: acceleration due to gravity.
The hydrostatic force acting on the vertical face of the quadrant can be calculated as:

 Partially immersed vertical plane

1 2
F= ρgB d ………………………. (3a)
2
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 Fully immersed vertical plane

D
F=ρgBD (d− )………………………(3b)
2
where:
B: width of the quadrant face,
d: depth of water from the base of the quadrant, and
D: height of the quadrant face.

THEORETICAL DETERMINATION OF CENTER OF

PRESSURE
The center of pressure is calculated as:
Ix
Yp= …………………... (4)
AYc
Ix the 2nd moment of area of immersed body about an axis in the free surface. By use of the
parallel axis theorem:
2
Ix=Ic+ A Yc ……………………... (5)
where is the depth of the centroid of the immersed surface, and is the 2nd moment of area of
immersed body about the centroidal axis Ix calculated as:
• Partially immersed vertical plane:

B d3 d 2 B d3
Ix= + Bd( ) = ..............................(6a)
12 2 3

• Fully immersed vertical plane:

[ ( )]
2 2
D D
Ix=BD + d− .....................(6b)
12 2

The depth of the center of pressure below the pivot point is given by:
y=Yp+ H −d ..........................(7)
in which H is the vertical distance between the pivot and the base of the quadrant.
Substitution of Equation (6a and 6b) and into (4) and then into (7) yields the theoretical results,
as follows:
• Partially immersed vertical plane
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d
y=H − ......................(8a)
3
• Fully immersed vertical rectangular plane

D2 D 2
+( d− )
12 2
y= + H −d ..................................(8b)
D
d−
2

A, partially submerged quadrant (c: centroid, p: center of pressure

B, fully submerged quadrant (c: centroid, p: center of pressure)

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EXPERIMENTAL CENTER OF PRESSURE

By substitution of the derived hydrostatic force, F from Equation (3a and b), we have:
• Partially immersed vertical plane
mgl 2 mL
y= =
F ρB d
2

• Fully immersed vertical rectangular plane

mL
y=
D
ρBD (d− )
2

Procedures
1. The quadrant is placed on the two dowel pins and fastened to the balance
arm using the clamping screw.
2. L, a, depth d and width b of the quadrant end face are measured.
3. With the Perspex tank on the bench, the balance arm is positioned on the
knife edges (pivot).
 The balance pan is hanged on from the end of the balance arm. A length of
hose is connected from the drain cock to the sump and a length from the
bench feed to the triangular aperture on the top of the Perspex tank.

4 The tank is leveled using the adjustable feet and spirit level. The counter
balance weight is moved until the balance arm is horizontal.
5 The drain cock is closed and water is admitted until the level reached the
bottom edge of the quadrant.
6 A weight is placed on the balance pan and water is added slowly into the tank
until the balance arm is horizontal.
 Add 50 grams to the weight hanger.
7 The water level on the quadrant and the weight on the balance pan are
recorded.
8 Fine adjustment of the water level can be achieved by overfilling and slowly
draining using the stop cock.
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9 The above step is repeated for each increment of weight until the water level
reached the tops of the quadrant end face.
10 Then each increment of weight is removed to note the weight and the water
level until the weight have been removed.

water

RESULT
COLLECTED DATA:
Mass in kilogram and
Depth of immersion in meter
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Test No. Mass m(kg) Depth of immersion

d(m)
Partially 1 0.050 0.049
submerged

2 0.150 0.075

Fully 3 0.250 0.108

submerged

4 0.350 0.134

Width of the quadrant face is 0.075m

Tes Mass Depth of Hydrostatic Theoretical depth of Experimental depth of

t m(kg) immersion(d) Force F(N) center of pressure (m) center of pressure(m)
No

1 0.050 0.049 0.883 0.183 0.152

2 0.150 0.075 2.069 0.175 0.195

3 0.250 0.108 4.26 0.164 0.158

4 0.350 0.134 6.18 0.160 0.153

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The relationship between hydrostatic force and depth of

immersion
7
6.18
6

5
4.26
hydrostatic force

3
2.069
2
0.833
1

0
0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
depth of immersion

The relationship between Theoretical depth of center of

pressure and depth of immersion
0.185 0.183
theoretical depth of center of pressure

0.18
0.175
0.175

0.17
0.164
0.165

0.16 0.158

0.155

0.15

0.145
0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
depth of immersion
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The ralationship between experimental depth of

centerof pressure and depth of immersion
0.25

0.195
0.2

0.152 0.158 0.152

0.15
Axis Title

0.1

0.05

0
0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
Axis Title

Theoeti cal depth of center of pressure Vs

Experimental depth of center of pressure
0.185 0.183

0.18
0.175
0.175

0.17
Axis Title

0.164
0.165
0.16
0.16

0.155

0.15

0.145
0.14 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.2
Axis Title
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Mass Vs depth of immersion on log-log scale graph to the

10 base of 10
Axis Title

1
1 Axis Title 10

Comments and effects

 From the first graph the hydrostatic force against the depth of immersion. It can be
determined from the graph that as there is an increase in depth of immersion there is also
an exponentially related increase in the hydrostatic force. This is because the hydrostatic
force is due to the depth of fluid. As depth of fluid increases, hydrostatic force also
increases.
 The second graph when the apparatus is not fully submerged, there is a linear relation
between the theoretical depth of center of pressure and the depth of immersion. This
relation is that as the depth of the immersion of the water increases, the depth of the
center of pressure decreases.
 From the graph of theoretical depth of center of pressure and depth of immersion we can
say that with increase in depth of immersion the center of pressure decreases. The
difference in the graph for theoretical depth of center of pressure and experimental depth
of center of pressure is only the rate of decrease of center of pressure. In theoretical case
the slope is steep that means the center of pressure decreases rapidly but in experimental
case the slope is not that steep
 The log-log graph between the mass and depth of immersion looks linear but might be
different in other case of the same experiment because in our experiment we took only 4
tests this shows that we didn’t take enough amount of repeated experiment and there
may be some personal errors when reading we use the density water as 1000kg/ m3 but
this is taken from the sea water not from the actual water we use in our experiment and
due to our less repeated measurement the precession of our result tends to be less .
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Conclusions
 When a surface is only partially submerged in a fluid at rest; the height, counterweight mass,
hydrostatic pressure, and hydrostatic forces are exponentially related.
 When a surface is completely submerged in a fluid at rest; the height, counterweight mass,
hydrostatic pressure, and hydrostatic forces are linearly related and have a standard deviation
that fluctuates more than that of when the surface is only partially submerged.
 No matter whether the surface is fully submerged or only partially submerged; as actual height
increases so does the counterweight mass, theoretical height, and hydrostatic force.
 No matter whether the surface is fully or partially submerged, as the actual height increases, the
center of pressures decreases

References
 Allen, W. H., and Henry, Z. A. (1974). Use of Hydrostatic Pressure in Development of
Stress Strain Information for Tomato Skins. Trans. ASAE. 787-789.
 Chen, P., Studer, H. E., and Lam, S. (1977). A Bulk Compressibility Tester for
Agricultural Products. Trans. ASAE. 976-978