Hydrodynamic forces acting on vertically translating bodies in free surface water

Abstract

The dynamics of free surface flow induced by a partially or totally submerged moving body generates non-straightforward effort distribution. In the design process of moving hydraulic structures and their operation device, the pressure field acting on them is of prime interest. A fundamental example of such a phenomenon, namely the vertical uplift of a submerged horizontal rigid sheet, is hereafter experimentally analyzed. The present study includes the description of the experimental apparatus built in the HACH laboratory and the description of the rigorous experimental procedure used. The purpose of the analysis is to identify the fundamental hydrodynamic mechanisms involved. © 2009 WIT Press.