B Sc (Eng) Semester 1 Fluid Mechanics Tutorial: Buoyancy

Q1 A steel pipeline conveying a gas has an internal diameter of 120 cm and an external
diameter of 125 cm. It is laid across the bed of a lake, completely immersed in water
and is anchored at intervals of 3 m along its length.

i Calculate the buoyancy per unit length of pipeline.

ii Calculate the upward force on each anchorage.

Q2 A closed tank of length 120 cm, width 66 cm and height 60 cm is made of sheet steel
of weight 369 N/m2. Show that it will not float in water with its sides vertical.

If one end of a vertical chain is attached to the center of the bottom surface, calculate
the minimum pull required to keep the tank in equilibrium with its sides vertical.

Q3 A cylindrical buoy is 1.8 m in diameter and 1.2 m in height. It weighs 10 KN and its
center of is at a height of 0.45 m from the bottom. Show that it floats in sea water
with its axis vertical and determine its time period of oscillation.

If a load of 2 KN is to be fixed at the top, what would be the maximum height to its
center of gravity, for the cylinder to remain floating with its axis vertical ?

Q4 A rectangular pontoon floating in sea water supports a crane. The pontoon is 20 m in

length, 8 m in width and 1 m in height. The pontoon and the crane has a mass of 10
tonnes. The center of gravity of the of the pontoon and the crane is estimated to be
located at a height of 0.5 m from the bottom of the pontoon. Determine the angle of
tilt when the crane supports a mass of 10 tonnes in the plane of the deck of the
pontoon, at the center of its length and at a distance of 5 m to one side of the
centerline.

Q5 A rectangular pontoon floating in sea water is 15 m in length, 6 m in width and 2.1 m

in height and has a weight of 800 KN. Its center of gravity at the center of the plan at a
height of 1.5 m from the bottom. The pontoon is divided into 2 similar compartments
along the longitudinal axis. Sea water ballast weighing 200 KN is admitted into each
open compartment. Determine the metacentric height for rolling and the angle of tilt
when a deck load of 20 KN is shifted laterally by 3 m.