Relative Equilibrium of Liquids

Relative equilibrium of liquid is a condition where the whole mass of liquid including the
vessel in which the liquid is contained, is moving at uniform accelerated motion with
respect to the earth, but every particle of liquid have no relative motion between each
other. There are two cases of relative equilibrium that will be discussed in this section:
linear translation and rotation. Note that if a mass of liquid is moving with constant
speed, the conditions are the same as static liquid in the previous sections.

Formulas
For details of the following formulas see the translation and rotation pages.

Horizontal Motion

Inclined Motion

Vertical Motion

Rotation
and

Rectilinear Translation | Moving Vessel

Horizontal Motion
If a mass of fluid moves horizontally along a straight line at constant acceleration a, the
liquid surface assume an angle with the horizontal, see figure below.

For any value of a, the angle can be found by considering a fluid particle of mass m on
the surface. The forces acting on the particle are the weight W = mg, inertia force or
reverse effective force REF = ma, and the normal force N which is the perpendicular
reaction at the surface. These three forces are in equilibrium with their force polygon
shown to the right.

From the force triangle

Inclined Motion
Consider a mass of fluid being accelerated up an incline from horizontal. The
horizontal and vertical components of inertia force REF would be respectively, x =
mah and y = mav.

From the force triangle above

but a cos = ah and a sin = av, hence

Use (+) sign for upward motion and (-) sign for downward motion.

Vertical Motion
The figure shown to the right is a mass of liquid moving vertically upward with a
constant acceleration a. The forces acting to a liquid column of depth h from the surface
are weight of the liquid W = V, the inertia force REF = ma, and the pressure F = pA at the
bottom of the column.

Use (+) sign for upward motion and (-) sign for downward motion. Also note that a is
positive for acceleration and negative for deceleration.

Rotation | Rotating Vessel

When at rest, the surface of mass of liquid is horizontal at PQ as
the figure. When this mass of liquid is rotated about a vertical axis at
constant angular velocity radian per second, it will assume
the surface ABC which is parabolic. Every particle is
subjected to centripetal force or centrifugal force CF =
m2x which produces centripetal acceleration towards
the center of rotation. Other forces that acts are gravity
force W = mg and normal force N.

shown in

Where tan is the slope at the surface of paraboloid at any distance x from the axis of
rotation.

From Calculus, y = slope, thus

For cylindrical vessel of radius r revolved about its vertical axis, the height h of
paraboloid is

Other Formulas
By squared-property of parabola, the relationship of y, x, h and r is defined by

Volume of paraboloid of revolution

Important conversion factor

Tags:

centrifugal force

angular velocity

paraboloid

squared property of parabola

centripetal acceleration

slope of paraboloid

volume of paraboloid

Problem 1
A closed cylindrical vessel 3 m. in diameter and 6 m high is filled with water to a height
of 4.5 m. The rest is filled with air, the pressure of which is 105 kPa. If the vessel is
rotated at 191 rpm about its axis, determine the maximum and minimum inside
pressure at the base.

Solution 1
Speed of rotation

TIP: Multiply rpm by /30 for fast conversion to rad/sec. Notice that the above
procedure is actually a multiplication of this amount.

When x = r = 1.5 m, y = h

Determine the position of the vortex:

(Note: The height of paraboloid is equal to H2/2D
when the vortex touches the bottom of the tank.)

Since h > H2/2D, the vortex is below the vessel.

See figure below.

At x = x1, y = y1

At x = x2, y = y1 + 6

Volume of air

Final volume of air = Initial volume of air

The minimum pressure at the base occurs at all points within the circle of radius x 1 and
is equal to the original air pressure.
answer

The maximum pressure will occur anywhere along the circumference of the base.

answer