Calculating Load Applied to Anchors Holding a Car in River

[Tom T]

Hi

I am trying to work out the load applied to some anchors used to hold a car stationary in a man made river channel. I know it will be something to do with the surface area and the speed/volume of water. Can anyone help, admittedly I am a practical person not a acaedamic so layman terms please.

Tom

 

[Tom T]

So I have a car side ways on to a flow of water moving around 15mph, I imagine there is around 5 square meters of surface area that the water hits, how much load will be applied to the anchor holding the car in the channel.

 

[Studiot]

You have mixed imperial and metric units, but I am going to work in imperial.

The maximum possible force is larger than you might think and is given by

$$F = \frac{{wa{v^2}}}{g}$$



F is the force in lbs,
w is the weight of water in lbs per cubic foot = 62.4 lbs per cubic foot
a = wetted area of car = 54 square feet
v is the velocity in feet per second = 22 feet per second
g is the acceleration due to gravity = 32 feet per second per second

F = 62.4*54*22*22/32 = 51,000 lbs

Max pressure would be F/a = 944 lbs per square foot or 6.5 psi or about half an atmosphere.

go well

 

[Tom T]

Thanks

yeah its a complicated situation because buoyancy also affects the car, the heavier the car the more friction it is subjected to on the river channel, reducing the load, thanks for you time

tom

 

[PJC01]

I can help you with calculating the load applied to the anchors holding a car in a river. The load applied to the anchors can be determined by considering the weight of the car and the force of the water acting on it. The force of the water will depend on the speed and volume of water in the river.

To calculate the load, we first need to determine the weight of the car. This can be done by using the mass of the car and the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). Once we have the weight of the car, we can then calculate the force of the water acting on it. This can be done by multiplying the density of water (1000 kg/m^3) by the volume of water displaced by the car.

Once we have both the weight of the car and the force of the water, we can add them together to determine the total load applied to the anchors. It is important to also consider the angle and direction of the force applied by the water, as this can affect the overall load on the anchors.

I hope this explanation helps in understanding the calculation process. If you need further assistance, please feel free to ask. It is important to have a thorough understanding of the forces at play when determining the load on the anchors, as it will ensure the safety and stability of the car in the river.