Hydraulic Pressure Calculator

What Is Hydraulic Pressure?

Hydraulic pressure is the force a fluid exerts per unit area on a surface. It appears on dam faces, gate seals, pipe walls, and piston cylinders. Understanding pressure and area lets engineers size structural supports and predict loads on hydraulic equipment.

Force and Hydrostatic Pressure Formulas

The hydraulic force on a submerged or pressurized surface is:

$$F = P \times A$$

For a static fluid column, gauge pressure at depth $h$ is:

$$P = \rho \cdot g \cdot h$$

where $\rho$ is fluid density, $g$ is gravitational acceleration, and $h$ is depth below the free surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate force on a dam gate?

Multiply the average pressure on the gate by the wetted area. For a vertical gate, pressure increases linearly with depth, so use the centroid depth or integrate pressure over the gate height.

What is the difference between gauge and absolute pressure?

Gauge pressure is measured relative to atmospheric pressure. Absolute pressure includes atmospheric pressure on top of the gauge value. This tool's hydrostatic mode returns gauge pressure from depth.

What density should I use for water?

Fresh water at room temperature is about 1000 kg/m³. Seawater is roughly 1025 kg/m³. Use the actual fluid density for accurate hydrostatic results.

What units does the force result use?

Enter pressure in kilopascals and area in square meters. The calculator returns force in newtons or kilonewtons depending on magnitude.

Does this include dynamic pressure?

No. This calculator covers static pressure and the basic force relation. Dynamic pressure from moving flow requires velocity head terms from Bernoulli's equation.

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What Is Hydraulic Pressure?

Force and Hydrostatic Pressure Formulas

Frequently Asked Questions

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