Buoyancy and Stability of Floating Bodies
Buoyancy and Stability of Floating Bodies
Buoyancy and Stability of Floating Bodies
4
BUOYANCY AND STABILITY OF FLOATING BODIES
4.0 Introduction. 4.1 Types of Equilibrium of Floating Bodies. 4.2 Determination of Metacentric Height of a
Vessel. 4.3 Maximum Length of a Vertically Floating Body. 4.4 Floating Bodies Anchored at Base. 4.5 Time
of Rolling (or Oscillation) of a Floating Body. 4.6 Stability of a Tank Containing Liquid. Typical Examples.
Highlights. Theoretical Problems. Numerical Problems.
4.0 Introduction
When a body is placed in a liquid, it is subjected to two forces : gravitational and upthrust
of the liquid. The two forces act opposite to each other, and are equal.
The tendency of a fluid to uplift a submerged body due to the upthrust of the fluid is known
as buoyancy (or force of buoyancy). The magnitude of a buoyant force can be determined by
Archimedes’ principle which states: ‘When a body is immersed in a fluid either wholly or
partially, it is lifted or buoyed by the upthrust (or buoyant force) which is equal to the weight of
the fluid displaced by the body’. The center of gravity of the displaced fluid is known as the
center of buoyancy and is always the centre of gravity of thefluid displaced. If the density of the
body is less than that of the fluid (i.e. liquid) displaced, the body rises to the surface.
Consider a floating body as shown in Fig 4.1.
Weight W
+G
+B
Upthrust R=W
Fig 4.1
A floating body orientates itself such that the center of gravity is located vertically above the
center of buoyancy. For equilibrium, weight of body W = weight of liquid displaced. R and W
must act in the same vertical straight line.
Example 4.1 A block of wood 4m long×2m wide ×1m deep is floating horizontally in water. If the
density of wood is 700 kg/m3, determine the volume of water displaced and the position of center
of buoyancy.
Solution
(i) Volume of water displaced, V: 2m
Volume of block = 4×2×1 = 8 m3
Density of wood = 700 kg/m3
Mass of block, W = 8×700 = 5600kg +G
1m
+B
Volume of water displaced, V = weight of block/density of water
= 5600/1000 = 5.6 m3
(ii) Position of center of buoyancy, B: Fig 4.2
Depth of immersion = volume/cross-sectional area = 5.6/(4×2) = 0.7m
∴Center of buoyancy, B = 0.7/2 = 0.35m (from base)
Solution
(i) Buoyancy force in kN/m, R:
Buoyancy force/m run = weight of water displaced /m run.
= w×(volume of water displaced /m run)
�π2 �
= 1000×9.81 � �1.25 �= 12.039 kN/m
�4 �
(ii) Upward force in kN on each anchorage
Anchorages are at 3m intervals:
Upward force on each anchorage = (buoyancy force-weight) for 3m pipeline
2 �π
2 �
Weight of 3m pipeline = 3×7900×9.81 � (1.25 - 1.20 �= 22369 N
�4 �
Buoyancy force on 3m pipe = 3×12039 = 36117 N
∴Upward force on each anchorage = 36.117-22.369 = 13.748 kN
When a body floats, it can tilt in any direction. In the case of a ship the displacement
about the longitudinal axis is referred to as rolling, while that along a transverse
displacement is known as pitching. The position of metacentre and the value of
metacentric height will usually be different for the two conditions.
Position of axix OO
Let “a” be a small area in water line plane at a distance x from the axis of rotation OO.
When the vessel is tilted, it generates a small volume.
Volume swept out by “a” = DD'×a = xθ×a = axθ
Summing all such volumes and multiplying by specific weight ρg of liquid:
x = AO
Weight of wedge AOA' = �ρgaxθ … (ii)
x =0
Solution
Metacentric height, GM: b= 40mm
Depth of immersion, h = 0.8×30 = 24mm
Distance of center of buoyancy from bottom, OB = 24/2 = 12mm
Center of gravity from bottom, OG = 30/2 = 15mm
BG=OG-OB = 15-12 = 3mm 30 +G
+B h
I of rectangular section about the central axis and parallel to long side,
Ixx = lb3/12 = 100×403/12 = 533.3×103mm4
Volume of water displaced, V = 100×40×24 = 96×103mm3 O
BM = I/V = 533.3×103/96×103 = 5.55mm Fig 4 .7
Metacentric height , GM = BM-BG = 5.55-3 = 2.55mm
Block floats in stable equilibrium as GM is +ve
Example 4.4 A cylinder 360mm long, 80mm in diameter has its base 10 mm thick and of specific
gravity 7. The remaining part is of specific gravity 0.5. Determine if it can float vertically in
water.
Solution
Diameter d = 80mm; length of cylinder = 360mm.
Area of cylinder A, = π/4×802 = 1600 π mm2
Thickness of base = 10mm; specific gravity = 7
(0.5A �350) �(10 + 350 / 2) + (7A �10 �10 / 2)
Distance OG = = 133.6mm
(0.5A �350) + (7A �10)
Combined specific gravity of cylinder,
(350 �0.5) + (10 �7)
= = 0.68
(350 + 10)
Depth of immersion, h = 360×0.68 = 244.8mm
Distance of centre of buoyancy from bottom of buoy,
OB=h/2=244.8/2=122.4mm
Distance BG = OG-OB = 133.6-122.4 = 11.2mm
Moment of inertia of circular section,
πd4 π �80 4
I= = = 2.011�106 mm4
64 64
Volume of water displaced,
πd2 π �802
V= �L = �244.8 = 1.230 �106 mm3
4 4
I 2.011�106
BM = = = 1.63mm
V 1.230 �106
Metacentric height GM =BM-BG=1.63-11.2= -9.57mm
The metacentre M is below the centre of gravity G, and the cylinder is in unstable
equilibrium.
Example 4.5 A uniform wooden circular cylinder of diameter 400mm and of specific gravity 0.6
is required to float in oil of specific gravity 0.8. Find the maximum length of the cylinder at which
it may float vertically in water.
Solution
Given: Diameter of cylinder, d = 400mm
Specific gravity of cylinder = 0.6
Specific gravity of oil = 0.8
Let L = length of cylinder
0.6 3
Depth of immersion of cylinder, h = L= L
0.8 4
1 3 3
OB = � L = L
2 4 8
OG = L/2
L 3 L
BG = OG-OB = - L =
2 8 8
I of circular section = πd4/64 = π×4004 /64= 400×106 π mm4
π 2 3 π 3
Volume of water displaced, V= d � L = �4002 � L = 30 �10πLmm
3 3
4 4 4 4
6 3
I 400 �10π 40 �
10
BM = = 3
= mm
V 30 �10πL 3L
For stable equilibrium, M should be above G or coincide
Or BG ≤ BM
L 40 �103
Or ≤
8 3L
∴ L≤ 326.6mm
G
θ
G
B B A
B'
R=W W
R
Fig 4.8
Example 4.6 A ship weighing 4000 tonnes has centre of buoyancy 2m below its centre of gravity.
The moment of inertia of the ship area at the water level is 10400 m 4. Find the period of rolling of
the ship, when floating in sea water, if radius of gyration of the ship be 4m. Density of sea water
= 1030kg/m³
Solution
Weight of ship = 4000 tonnes
Distance between centre of buoyancy and centre of gravity, BG = 2m
Moment of inertia I = 10400 m4.
Radius of gyration, k = 4m
Let T = periodic time of rolling of ship.
Volume of sea water displaced,
V = mass/specific weight of sea water.
= 4000×10³/1030 = 3883.5 m³
BM = I/V = 10400/3883.5 = 2.68m
Metacentric height, GM = BM-BG = 2.68-2 = 0.68m
T = 2 π√( k²/ GM·g = 2 π√{4²/(0.68×9.81)} = 9.73s
M GO= Cg of tank
G = Original cg of liquid
P= Pivot
G'=New cg of liquid after
A tank has tilted through θ
θ
A' θ O C'
G
P
C
G
B GO
B'
x N
G'
W R=W ρgV
Fig 4.9 W
(a) (b)
Example 4.7 A rectangular tank 0.9m long and 0.6m wide is mounted on bearings so that it is
free to turn about a longitudinal axis. The tank has a mass of 68kg and its centre of gravity is
0.15m above the bottom. The tank is slowly filled with water and hangs in stable equilibrium until
the depth of water is 0.45m, after which it becomes unstable. Determine the position of the axis of
bearings above the bottom of tank.
GO= cg of tank
G = Original cg of liquid
P= Pivot
G'=New cg of liquid after
tank has tilted through θ P
G
θ GO
N
G'
ρgV
0.45m
W
Fig 4.10
Solution
Test the stability of the tank by giving it a small angle of tilt θ.
Centre of gravity of liquid G moves to G' when the tank tilts through angle θ
Then, Righting moment due to weight of tank = W·PG0· θ
Overturning moment due to contents = ρgV·G'N
W = 68×9.81 = 668N, PG0 = h-0.15m, ρg = 9.81×10³N/m3
Volume of contents, V = 0.9×0.45 ×0.6 = 0.243 m³
G is 225mm from bottom;
Tan θ = G'N/PG
EMA Lecture Notes: Academic Year 2016/2017 SemesterII
ECE 2203: Fluid Mechanics I 11
G’N = GG’-GN= GG’-PG· θ
I
=θ - θ ( h - 0.225 )
V
I = 0.9×0.6³/12 = 0.01625 m4
But righting moment = overturning moment at the point of instability
� I �
Or W·PG0· θ = ρgV �θ - θ ( h - 0.225 ) �
�V
Or 668(h-0.15) = 9.81×10³×0.01625-9.81×10³×0.243×(h-0.225)
Or 3048h = 795
h = 0.26m
Vessel With Two Longitudinal Compartments Symmetrically Arranged About the Axis and
Containing Liquid With Free Surface.
Consider a vessel with two longitudinal compartments as shown in Fig 4.11.
Let: G = centre of gravity of the vessel and the contents
B = centre of buoyancy of fluid displaced.
When the vessel tilts through a small angle θ, the centres of gravity of the liquid in the tanks
will move respectively i.e. G1 moves to G1' and G2 to G2'. This causes the centre of gravity and the
contents to move to G'.
In the same way as in the movement of centre of buoyancy BB', distance moved is calculated in
the same way.
I1 I2
G1G1' = θ· V and G2G2' = θ· , where I1 and I2 are the second moments of area of the free
1
V2
surfaces, and V1 and V2 are the volumes of the liquid in the tanks.
M•
N •
• B'
G • • G'
• B
B •
ZG G1' G2'
ZB G1 G1'
Fig 4.11
If V is the volume of water displaced by the vessel and ρ is the mass density of water,
Weight of vessel and contents = weight of water displaced = ρgV
If the volume of liquid (ρ1) in the tanks is V1 and V2,
Weight of contents of first tank = ρ1gV1
Weight of contents of second tank = ρ1gV2
Taking moments to find the change in the centre of gravity of the vessel and contents,
ρgV×GG’ = ρ1gV1 × G1G1’ + ρ1gV2 × G2G2’
I1 I2
= ρ1gV1· θ· V + ρ1gV2· θ·
1
V2