Wind Loading

[ostopher]

Hi Guys,

I need to work out how much force is required to raise a satellite dish under a certain amount of wind loading. I've calculated the overall load but i'm not sure where to go from there.

The dish is 2.4m in diameter and 0.3m deep. It is attached by a hinge and an arm extends and retracts to alter the elevation of the dish.

Once I've calculated the force acting on the dish do I just take the overall force as acting in the centre and then divide this by two to give me an equal force at the top and bottom (although different distances from the hinge)? After this I've just used equilibrium of moments to work out "F".


Does this sound right? I think I might have gone wrong by halfing the overall force to produce two forces at either end but I'm unsure.

Thanks everyone!

 

[desertfox]

Hi ostopher

I think you should find the resultant force acting on the dish and then take moments about the dish hinge or pivot.
That then should give you the torque acting on the hinge point which maybe working against you or with you depending
whether your raising or lowering.

regards

desertfox

 

[ostopher]

i've calculated the force acting on the dish using the pressure and the area, i'm not sure what to do with this force before taking moments about the pivot.

the force on the dish is a uniformly distributed load. can i just half this value and display it as acting at the top and bottom of the dish, i.e. either side of the hinge?

 

[hydtools]

You should be able to use the total force calculated and apply it at the center of the dish.

Ted