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Fluid Pressure The pressure exerted on the bottom of a container by a liquid is determined by the height of the liquid and not by the shape of the container. This can be seen in Figure 3-41, where three different shapes and sizes of containers are full of colored water. Even though they are different shapes and have different volumes of liquid, each one has a height of 231 inches. Because of this height, each one would exert a pressure on the bottom of 8.34 psi. The container on the left, with a surface area of 1 in2, contains a volume of 231 in3 (one gallon). One gallon of water weighs 8.34 lb, which is why the pressure on the bottom is 8.34 psi.
Still thinking about Figure 3-41, if the pressure was measured half way down, it would be half of 8.34, or 4.17 psi. In other words, the pressure is adjustable by varying the height of the column. Pressure based on the column height of a fluid is known as static pressure. With liquids, such as gasoline, it is sometimes referred to as a head of pressure. For example, if a carburetor needs to have 2 psi supplied to its inlet (head of pressure), this could be accomplished by having the fuel tank positioned the appropriate number of inches higher than the carburetor. As identified in the previous paragraph, pressure due to the height of a fluid column is known as static pressure. When a fluid is in motion, and its velocity is converted to pressure, that pressure is known as ram. When ram pressure and static pressure are added together, the result is known as total pressure. In the inlet of a gas turbine engine, for example, total pressure is often measured to provide a signal to the fuel metering device or to provide a signal to a gauge on the flight deck. |
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