Fluid Mechanics

Topic 2.2:Buoyancy
Overview

2.2.1 Buoyancy on a body

2.2.2 Equilibrium of floating bodies
Learning Outcomes

1 2 3
Formulate and apply Evaluate the stability of a Define the metacenter
buoyancy principles of floating and fully and metacentric height.
fully submerged and submerged body.
floating bodies to solve
problems.
2.2.1 Buoyancy on a body
Buoyancy is the vertical force exerted by the fluid on an immersed body.
Buoyancy = Weight of fluid displaced by the body
Fb  W
 f gVd   o gVo
Centre of buoyancy: The point which buoyancy is acting & the centroid of the
displaced volume of fluid.
 Fb1

Fluid of density ρ1 V1 cb1

cb2
V2
Fluid of density ρ2

Fb2

Upthrust on upper part, Fb1  1 gV1 acting through cb1

Upthrust on lower part, Fb 2   2 gV2 acting through cb2
Total upthrust  1 gV1   2 gV2
Procedure for solving buoyancy
problems F  V
1. Draw FBD. b fluid displaced

2. Write vertical equilibrium W   ObjectVObject

equation,
W < R  object floats at the surface of
F V 0
fluid
3. Solve for the required by W > R  object sinks in the fluid
applying buoyancy principles: W = R  floats at a certain depth of
immersion
i. Buoyant force,
ii. Weight of object Vd
iii. Depth of immersion x
A
Example W
40 mm
A 60 mm cube is made of rigid
foam material and floats in water
with a depth of 40 mm below the Fb Water
water surface as shown in Figure.
Determine the magnitude and
direction of the force required to
hold the cube completely Fe
Glycerine
submerged in glycerine, which has
a specific gravity of 1.26.
W

Fb
Vd  0.06  0.06  0.04  1.44 10 4 m 3 W
40 mm
F V 0
Fb  W
Fb  9810  1.44  10  4  1.413 N Fb Water

Vd  0.06  0.06  0.06  2.16 10 4 m 3 Fe

Glycerine
F V 0
Fb  Fe  W W
Fe  Fb  W
 
Fe  1260  9.81 2.16  10  4  1.413  1.257 N

Fb
Try yourself
Find the density of a metallic body
which floats at the interface of
mercury of specific gravity 13.6 and
water such that 40% of its volume
is submerged in mercury and 60%
in water. (6040 kg/m3)
2.2.2 Equilibrium of floating bodies
When a body floats in vertical equilibrium in a liquid, the buoyant force will act
through the centre of buoyancy and the weight of the body acts through its centre of
gravity.
For equilibrium, both buoyant force and weight must be equal and act in the same
straight line.
The equilibrium of a body may be stable, unstable or neutral, depending upon
whether, when given a small displacement, it tends to return to the equilibrium
position, move further from it or remain in the displaced position.
For a floating body, such as a ship, stability is of major importance.
Stability of a fully
submerged body
The weight W = mg acts through the centre of gravity of the body.
The upthrust R acts through the centre of buoyancy, B.
When there is a small angular displacement θ, moment will be
generated, hence;
If the centre of gravity G is below the centre of buoyancy B, this
will be a righting moment and the body will tend to return to its
equilibrium position - Fig. (a)
If the centre of gravity is above the centre of buoyancy, an
overturning moment is produced and the body is unstable - Fig.
(b)
For fully immersed body, the shape of the displaced fluid is not
altered when the body is tilted and so the centre of buoyancy
remains unchanged relative to the body.
Stability of
floating body
The weight W acts through the centre of
gravity CG and the upthrust FB acts
through the centre of buoyancy CB of the
displaced fluid.
When the body is displaced through an
angle θ (Fig.(b)), W continues to act
through CG; the volume of liquid remains
unchanged since FB = W, but the shape
of this volume changes and its centre of
gravity, which is the centre of buoyancy,
moves relative to the body from CB to
CB’.
Since FB and W are no longer in the
same straight line, a turning moment
proportional to W × θ is produced,
which in Fig. (b) is a righting moment
and in Fig. (d) is an overturning
moment.
If MC is the point at which the line of
action of the upthrust FB cuts the
original vertical through the centre
of gravity of the body CG,
x  MB  
provided that the angle of tilt θ is
small, so that sin θ = tan θ = θ in
radians.
The point MC is called the
metacentre and the distance MB is
the metacentric height.
I
MB 
Vd
Comparing
Fig.(b) and (d)
If M lies above CG, a righting
moment W × MB × θ is produced,
equilibrium is stable and MB is
regarded as positive.
If M lies below CG, an overturning
moment W × MB × θ is produced,
equilibrium is unstable and MB is
regarded as negative.
If M coincides with CG, the body is
in neutral equilibrium.
Procedure for determining stability of
floating bodies
1. Determine the position of floating body using the buoyancy principles.
2. Locate CB and calculate the distance from the bottom of body to CB: ycb
3. Locate CG and calculate the distance from the bottom of body to CG: ycg
4. Calculate second moment of area I of the plane cut by the water surface hence
calculate MB.
MB  I
Vd
1. Calculate the distance from the bottom of the body to MB using
ymc  ycb  MB
Example
A flatboat hull weighs 130 kN when fully loaded. Fig. 4.7 (a) and (b) show the front and side
views of the boat. Determine whether the boat is stable in water and find out if the boat will
float. The centre of gravity is at 0.7 m measured from the bottom of the boat. The length of
the boat is 6.0 m, the width is 2.2 m and the height is 1.2 m.
 6  2 .2 3
I  5.324m 4
F V 0 12
Fb  W
5.324
Fb  Vd MB   0 .4 m
13.2

W 130 ymc  0.5  0.4  0.9m

x   1.00m
bL 9.81 2.2  6.0
Vd  2.2  6.0  1.0  13.2m 3

Since ymc > ycg, therefore the boat is stable

1.00
ycb   0.5m from the bottom
2
Example
A cylindrical buoy (Fig. ) 1.8 m in
diameter, 1.2 m high and weighing 10
kN floats in salt water of density 1025
kgm-3. Its centre of gravity is 0.45 m
from the bottom. If a load of 2 kN is
placed on the top, find the maximum
height of centre of gravity of this load
above the bottom if the buoy is to
remain in stable equilibrium.
Try yourself
A piece of cork has been cut to take
the shape as shown in Figure and has
a specific weight of 2.36 kNm-3 . The
cork is then put into turpentine which
has a specific gravity of 0.87 as shown
in Fig. (b). Determine whether the
cork is stable.
Try yourself
A wooden cone floats in water in the position shown in Fig. 4.9 (a). Determine whether the
cone is stable or not if the specific gravity of the wood is 0.65.
End of Topic 2.2.2