FLUID MECHANICS

2.5 Stability of Floating Bodies 2.5.1 Metacenter and Metacentric height

Six Types of Ship Motions: Bouguer’s Principle (Pierre Bouguer, 1746)
A. Rotational Motions CL CL
Yawning Pitching
W
x W

G G
Rolling

Bo B’o
Bo
y
z
Fig. 2.19 Rotational Motions
1. Pitch – is the up and down rotation of a vessel about its transverse axis (y-axis)
BF
2. Roll – is the tilting rotation of a vessel about its longitudinal axis (x-axis) BF
3. Yaw – is the turning rotation of a vessel about its vertical axis (z-axis)
(a) Upright Position (b) Tilted Position
B. Translational Motions
Fig. 2.21 Metacenter
z Nomenclature:
W = weight
x Surging
Heaving BF = buoyant force
Swaying G = center of the gravity of body (constant)
Bo = original center of buoyancy (center of gravity of the volume submerged)
Bo’ = new center of buoyancy (center of gravity of the volume submerged)
M = metacenter (intersection of the body’s centerline and the vertical line of action of
the buoyant force)
θ = angle of rolling (applicable also for pitching)
Surging MG = metacentric height (distance between M and G)
Swaying Heaving MBo = distance between M and Bo
y
Metacentric Height (MG):
Fig. 2.20 Translational Motions
4. Heave – is the linear vertical up and down motion along z-axis MG  MBo  GBo
5. Sway – is the linear transverse (side-to-side or port-starboard) motion in y-axis Distance MBo:
6. Surge – is the linear longitudinal (front/back or bow/stern) motion in x-axis Assuming a rectangular prism floating body.
Note: Note: The moment due to the shifting of the buoyant force is equal to the moment due
SOLID BODY FLOATS IF: to shifting of wedge (shown Fig.2.22).
[1] The mass density of the body is less than that of the fluid.
Thus: M  BF i x  Fd
[2] The weight of fluid displaced by the immersed body is equal to the weight of the
body. where: BF   Vs
D = draft (depth of submergence)

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 FLUID MECHANICS
L = length of the body (in top view) Simplified General Formula:
CL Waterline at CL Is
upright position MBo  [26]
Vs
B
F For Rectangular Prism
W
M
B 2  tan 2  
MBo  1   [27]
12 D  2 
G G
2.5.2 Equilibrium of Floating Bodies
“The weight of the body is equal to the buoyant force.”
D Bo Types of Equilibrium
Bo
x 1. Stable Equilibrium
F CL CL

BF W
BF
d
M
(a) Upright Position (b) Tilted Position
Fig. 2.22 Distance MBo
Where: x  MBo sin  G

F   Vw RM
Bo B’o
Vw = volume of the wedge
Thus:   Vs  MBo sin     Vw  S
General Formula: x
Vwd
MBo  [25] BF
Vs sin 
Where: d ≈ 2/3 of the width of the body, B
1  B  B (a) Tilted Position

Vw     tan   L Fig. 2.23 Stable Equilibrium
2  2  2 
Note:
1 2  2 
 8 B L tan    3 B 
A BODY IS IN STABLE EQUILIBRIUM IF:
Thus: MBo  [1] The metacenter M is above the center of gravity G.
BDL sin  [2] The metacentric height is positive (MG > 0).
1 [3] The effect of W and BF results to a righting moment RM. The righting moment will
LB3 tan 
push the body to return to its upright position.
MBo  12
Vs sin  Righting Moment:
3
LB
Where: Is  (moment of inertia of the plane flotation about the x-axis) RM   BF or W i x [28]
12
sin   tan  (for very small angles) Where: x  MG sin 
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 FLUID MECHANICS
2. Neutral Equilibrium Note:
CL A BODY IS IN UNSTABLE EQUILIBRIUM IF:
[1] The metacenter M is below the center of gravity G.
[2] The metacentric height is negative (MG < 0).
[3] The effect of W and BF results to an overturning moment RM. The overturning
W
moment tends the body to sink.
Overturning Moment:

G OM   BF or W i x [29]
M
Where: x  MG sin 
Bo
B’o

BF

Fig. 2.24 Neutral Equilibrium

Note:
A BODY IS IN NEUTRAL EQUILIBRIUM IF:
[1] The metacenter M coincides with the center of gravity G.
[2] The metacentric height is zero (MG = 0).
[3] No further displacement.
3. Unstable Equilibrium

x
CL
W

G
Bo M
B’o

BF
Fig. 2.25 Unstable Equilibrium

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