THE METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF THE DISPLACEMENT OF DEFLECTED SHIPS

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

5
Field of application

This invention applies to more accurate determination of the displacement of merchant ships built from elastic materials,
which suffers from significant temporary or permanent longitudinal deflections in ship's service due to hull bending,
10 such as hull sagging or hogging, what provokes changes of the immersed hull form, leading to inaccuracies in
determination of the ship's displacement, particularly important for modern large merchant ships.
According to International Classification, this invention can be classified as : B-63 (Ships and floating objects) 9/08
(Properties)

15 Technical problem

The problem tackled by this invention is the more accurate determination of ship's displacement whose hull under
longitudinal loadings caused by bending, changes the immersed hull form. Absolutely accurate determination of ship's
displacement is very complex and in most cases impossible, due to a number of imperceptible and immeasurable
20 circumstances, such as, temporary or permanent, longitudinal or transverse, local or global, residual or thermal
deformations, as well as corrosion, ageing, damages, reparations or hull fouling, what cannot be accounted for in
realistic conditions of the ship's service. The ship's displacement is the most important property for determination of the
ship's operational efficiency and every improvement in practices and accuracy of its determinations is useful either for
the ship's crew or for the ship-owner.
25
State of art

The shipping practice applies simplified approximate method for the determination of the change of the displacement
due to small longitudinal deflection of the immersed hull based on the assumption of a parabolic deflection line. The
30 methods currently in use do not account for the shape of the immersed ship hull and therefore are less accurate. Since
the draft and deadweight survey methods based on draft readings aft, amidships and forward, has been established
earlier when the ships were smaller and of different shape, the inaccuracies of traditional methods are particularly
significant for large modern merchant ships with full hull form.

35 The ship's displacement, as well as the other hydrostatic particulars of hulls, traditionally are calculated for all
anticipated drafts, using known methods from the theory for ships considered as rigid bodies on a hypothetically even
keel, and represented by diagrams and/or tables, once for the entire ship's service lifetime, usually already in the design
phase. During the deadweight survey procedure, the displacement, the trim and the deflection are determined on the
basis of draft readings or results of automatic draft measurements using adequate devices, aft, forward and amidships,
40 sometimes both on portside and starboard sides, employing the permanent ship's hydrostatic data, for each load case.
The basic geometrical relations of a longitudinally deflected ship hull in a sagging condition, as well as the notation
used in the text, are presented on Fig. 1.
o o o
The average or the mean draft of ship in service is traditionally obtained on the basis of draft readings d a , d m , d f
observed on aft perpendicular, on portside and on starboard sides amidships and on forward perpendicular, and
45 represents the standard draft, see Fig. 1., for hydrostatic calculations and determination of displacement, as follows:
d ao + d of
d ms = (1)
2
In order to simplify the procedure and save time and expenses of survey, it is usual to take draft readings on only one,
usually the most accessible side.
The hull sagging or hogging are defined traditionally amidships, regardless of the actual position of the extreme value,
50 on the basis of observed drafts, as follows:
d ao + d of
wm = d ms − d mo = − d mo (2)
2
From the term (2), it is obvious that the deflection amidships is positive for sagging condition and negative for hogging
condition, Fig. 1.
The traditional, simplified draft and displacement survey method for longitudinally deflected ships due to bending is
55 based on the equivalent draft for hydrostatic calculations defined by using observed drafts, as follows:
d ao + 6 ⋅ d mo + d of
d mw1/ 4 = (3)
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 HR P20010731A

Substituting (1) and (2) into (3), the equivalent draft can be rewritten on the basis of 1/4 of the amidships deflection, as
follows:
1 d a + d f d mo
o o
1 1
d mw1 / 4 = d mo + − = d mo + ⋅ ( d mm − d mo ) = d mo + ⋅ wm (4)
4 2 4 4 4
The equivalent draft defined by the term (4) is denoted in shipping sometimes as the “quarter mean draft” or the “mean
5 of mean draft”. Put succinctly, the equivalent draft for hydrostatic calculations of a longitudinally deflected ship hull,
according to (4), is obtained as the observed draft amidships corrected for 1/4 of the hull deflection amidships according
to (2).

o
To the observed draft amidships d m , from the hydrostatic data (displacement curve, hydrostatic tables), the observed
displacement denoted as Δo , can be assigned, and to the standard draft amidships d m according to (1), from the
s
10

hydrostatic data (displacement curve, hydrostatic tables), the standard displacement denoted as Δs , can be assigned by
considering the hull on even keel as a rigid body, Fig. 2. It is traditionally accepted that the displacement of a
longitudinally deflected hull Δ can be assessed for a ship hypothetically considered on even keel as a rigid body, by the
displacement Δw1 / 4 pertinent to the corrected amidships draft d mw1 / 4 , according to (4), Fig. 2. Of course, for large
15 amounts of sagging or hogging and/or large trim, it is more appropriate to use traditional lengthwise integration for
displaced and inclined sectional areas, so called Bonjean's curves.

Invention essence

20 The amount of ¼ of the amidships sagging or hogging in (4) is appropriate for draft corrections in only some particular
cases and in general does not account for the shape of the ship hull. For more accurate displacement assessments of a
longitudinally deflected ship, a variable draft correction factor denoted C d as well as its reciprocal value c = 1 , are
d
Cd
introduced in the following manner:
1
d me = d mo + C d ⋅ wm = d mo + ⋅ wm (5)
cd
25 The essence of the invention is in the rational, but still simple and practical method for determination of the variable
draft correction factor C d in (5), employing the true data of the hull form presented by the sole water-plane
characteristics on different anticipated drafts, Fig. 1. The invention employs the practically adopted assumption of
relatively small, for this purpose parabolic hull deflection line, considering ship’s sides as parallel in the range of the
hull deflection.
30
The invention is extended by a suggestion for a new placement of ship’s draft marks, instead on perpendiculars aft and
forward and amidships, at only two positions alongside the hull, where the observed drafts coincides with equivalent
drafts of a ship hypothetically considered on an even keel as a rigid body, Fig. 1. By the draft marks placed as it is
presented in this text, both the more accurate correction due to longitudinal deflection and the correction due to the trim
35 are simultaneously accounted for the displacement survey. The suggested positions of draft marks aft and forward are
determined on the basis of the draft correction factor C d defined in (5) and are generally valid for usually adopted
practical assumption of small deflections and small trim in ship service.

Description of the invention

40
The ship’s hull deflection line by longitudinal bending is assumed on the basis of many experimental and numerical
evidences that the prove how the deviations are of limited order of significance and usually appropriate for technical
calculations, in the form of a second order parabola with the extreme value in the centre of flotation, as it is shown:
x2
w( x ) = wm (6)
( Lwl / 2) 2
45
The parabolic defection line (6) after rectification represents the equivalent floating line, which defines the same
displacement of a deflected ship as it is of the hypothetically rigid hull on even keel, Fig.1.
It is obvious that the deflection line of a ship’s hull in service is neither symmetric nor parabolic, moreover, that the
actual shape and the true position of the extreme value are practically immeasurable. Therefore, the more practical
50 assumption for modern large ships about the position of extreme value of the deflection line in the centre of flotation,
instead in the mid between the perpendiculars, i.e. wm ≈ wL , is introduced, Fig. 1. On the other hand, it is not practical

2
 HR P20010731A

to determine the hull deflection shape and the position of the extreme value on board more precisely. Moreover, in most
cases it is imperceptible, and therefore, for ships with traditionally placed draft marks, the deflection amidships has to be
considered as the extreme of the deflection line.
The changes in hydrostatic properties due to hull deflection are mostly dependent on the floating water-plane geometric
5 characteristics. The longitudinal change in buoyancy due to relatively small deflection w(x) of o a hull with
hypothetically parallel ship’s sides, with respect to the actual water-plane of length Lwl, and breadth b(x), at any position
'x' along the ship, is defined as follows:
qb ( x ) = γ sea ⋅ w( x )b( x ) (7)
The displacement of the deflected ship part in the area of the floating line in the water of specific gravity γsea,
10 supposing a parabolic floating line (6), can be obtained by longitudinal integration of (7), as it is shown:
Lwlfor Lwlfor
wm I L / Awl
Δ = ∫ qb ( x)dx =γ sea ⋅
d
∫ b( x ) x2dx = γ sea ⋅ wm Awl = γ sea ⋅ wm ⋅ Awl ⋅ Cd (8)
L
( Lwl / 2)2 Lwlaft
( Lwl / 2)2
wlaft
The correction of draft amidships relative to the observed amidships draft, due to the displacement of the deflected hull
part, can be determined as a parallel immersion or emersion employing area of a water-plane Awl and moment of
inertia I L of the waterline with respect to the transverse axis through the centre of flotation CF, as follows:
Δd I /A
15 d md = = w m ⋅ L wl 2 = w m ⋅ C d (9)
γ sea ⋅ Awl ( Lwl / 2)
The dimensionless draft correction factor Cd due to deflection is derived only by basic water-plane geometric
characteristics employing (9), and can be easily calculated from commonly available ship’s permanent hydrostatic
particulars, as shown:
I L / Awl
Cd = (10)
( Lwl / 2) 2
20 Alternatively, in some practical cases, the correction of draft amidships may be approximated by substitution of the
moment to change trim one unit MT1 and tons per unit of immersion TP1 in (10) and can be expressed in consistent
units (for inconsistent units, additional units conversion is required), as follows:
MT 1 L pp
Cd ≈ ⋅ (10a)
TP1 ( Lwl / 2) 2
For simplicity, the true water-plane shape of beam Bwl and water-plane area coefficient CWP = Awl /( L wl B wl ) , can be
25 approximated by a symmetric general parabola of order k, in the following form:
( Lwl / 2 ) k − x k
b ( x ) = Bwl (11)
( Lwl / 2 ) k
The substitution of (11) in (7) and the repeated integration as in (8), having in mind that k=CWP/(1-CWP):, may lead to
satisfactory assessments of water-plane area characteristics as follows:
k
Awl ≈ Bwl Lwl = Bwl Lwl CWP (12)
k +1
2
⎛L ⎞
30 I L ≈ Awl ⋅ ⎜ wl ⎟ ⋅ C d (13)
⎝ 2 ⎠
1
Cd ≈ (14)
3(3 − 2CWP )
It is easily recognizable from (14), that Cd significantly differs from 1/4 and that it is an increasing function of CWP.
Specifically, Cd=1/4 only for a unique value of CWP is amounting to CWP=0.834. The maximum value of Cd=1/3 is
attained for CWP=1, i.e. for rectangular waterline shape. The minimum value of Cd=1/6 is attained for CWP=1/2, i.e. for
35 triangular waterline shape.
The invention takes a step further. When the deflection is not too great, a second order symmetric parabola (6), shifted
vertically relatively to the observed waterline, for amount of parallel immersion defined as a fraction of the maximal
deflection supposed at the position of to the centre of flotation in amount of wmCd in (6), Fig. 1., can be used as an
approximation denoted equivalent waterline of the hull, as shown:
40 w( x) = wm
[C d ( Lwl / 2) 2 − x 2 ] (15)
( Lwl / 2) 2

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 HR P20010731A

In order to find the true displacement of a deflected hull, it is imagined that the equivalent waterline is rectified back to a
plane waterline by vertical translation of hull sections at some position “x”, amounting to the value w(x) defined by the
equivalent waterline (15), Fig. 1.
The positions along the ship’s hull with respect to longitudinal centre of flotation LCF, where the observed drafts are
5 equal to the equivalent draft can be obtained in intersections between the equivalent waterline line and the observed
waterline by employing the square root of the draft correction factor Cd (10), (10a) or (14), Fig. 1., from the condition
w(x)=0 in (15), as:
Cd
x d = ± Lwl = ± Lwl ⋅ C x (16)
2
The position factor denoted Cx in (16), is defined as shown:
Cd
10 Cx = (17)
2
As the consequence of above assumptions, for trimmed deflected ships, is the equivalent waterline passing through the
longitudinal centre of flotation, what is intrinsic to the suggested method because of the fact that the corrections due to
deflection and due to trim are accounted for all at once. The draft marks placed on the specified positions are closer to
the amidships, therefore making easier their fitting on ship’s sides, slightly reducing the accuracy of draft readings at
15 perpendiculars, but increasing the accuracy in obtaining of the equivalent draft, in general simplify and accelerate draft
survey, which are due to less intense motion even more accurate, and finally, improve the accuracy of deadweight
survey.

Application procedure
20
This invention is easily applicable to existing ships with traditionally placed draft marks by determining either once for
the ship’s all possible and anticipated drafts in the entire service lifetime or in each particular situation the value of draft
correction factor accurately, according to 10) i (10a) and approximately according to (14).
Commonly, the observed amidships draft is corrected to the equivalent amidships draft dme using deflections amidships
25 wm (2) and the draft correction factor (10, 10a or 14) instead of constant 1/4 in (4), as shown:
1 d ao + 2 d mo (cd − 1) + d of d ao + d mo ( f − 2) + d of
d me = d mo + d md = d mo + C d ⋅ wm = d mo + ⋅ wm = = (18)
cd 2 ⋅ cd f
The equivalent draft (18) is identical to the term (5) and represent a more rational basis for comprehensive and accurate
displacement assessment of deflected ship hull of the commonly used equivalent “mean of mean” draft (3), since the
draft correction factor Cd (10, 10a or 14) accounts appropriately for the hull form via the water-plane geometrical
30 characteristics. The substitution f = 2 ⋅ cd in (18), simplifies the procedure.
Alternatively, the standard mean draft amidships (1) can be corrected to the equivalent amidships draft using deflections
amidships (2) and the draft correction factor (10, 10a or 14), as follows:
d me = d ms − ( w m − d md ) = d ms − w m (1 − C d ) (19)
To obtain the actual displacement Δ of the deflected hull from the permanent hydrostatic particulars for a rigid hull on
35 an even keel, the equivalent mean draft can dme, be used, as clarified on Fig. 2.
Hence, the actual displacement of a deflected ship hull on a hypothetically even keel can be defined relative either to the
standard displacement or to the observed displacement, employing the amidships deflection wm (2) and the draft
correction factor Cd (10, 10a or 14), as follows:
Δ = Δo + Δdd = Δo + wmγ sea Awl C d (20)
40 Δ = Δs − ( wmγ sea Awl − Δdd ) = Δs − wmγ sea Awl (1 − C d ) (21)
The expressions γ sea Awl C d in (20) and γ sea Awl (1 − C d ) in (21) represent the displacement correction per unit of
longitudinal deflection of the ship hull amidships, relatively to the observed displacement or standard displacement,
respectively. For small deflections and hypothetically parallel ship’s sides, the unit of displacement increment may be
viewed as constant amounting to the slope of the displacement curve, i.e., its first derivative γsea Awl, Figure 2.
45
If there is a trim encountered on board, displacement of a hypothetically rigid hull on an even keel position (20, 21),
have to be additionally corrected for changes due to the trim. When the trim is not too great, the axis of rotation for
change of trim without change of displacement may be assumed to pass through the centre of flotation LCF of the even-
keel waterline. In order to find the true displacement for a trimmed waterline the ship is imagined as rotate back to a
50 waterline parallel to the base. Then the solution may be reached algebraically. For very large trims and deflections, it is
best to make use of Bonjean’s curves for direct lengthwise integration of curves of areas of inclined and deflected
sections. Water density correction is normally included during a deadweight survey.

4
 HR P20010731A

The suggested procedure based on traditional draft marks placement at ends and amidships, but applying the more
accurate draft correction factor, as it is explained above, accounts for the true shape of the ship hull, and therefore
represents a rational improvement with respect to traditional methods of draft and displacement survey, since they do
not consider the hull form and its changes by drafts.
5 The aim of the considerations in the sequel is to prove that an alternative placement of draft marks, quite different of
current practice, on only two positions alongside the ship’s hull, provide easier, faster, more simple and more accurate
equivalent draft and consequently, more accurate displacement of a deflected, and moreover, of a trimmed ship, all at
once.
The two drafts observed on ship sides aft and forward, on lengthways positions xd in (16) from the centre of flotation
10 CF, are denoted as follows:
d aoe , d oe
f
.
The distance defined by (16) can be interpreted as the lengthways position of draft observations which provide directly
immediate values for equivalent draft calculation. Following the assumption about the position of the maximal
deflection close to the centre of flotation LCF, the standard equivalent draft is defined by only two draft reading, Fig. 1.,
15 compared to the conventional term (3) which requires three draft readings, as it is shown:
d aoe + d oe
d LCF =
f
se (22)
2
Since the standard equivalent draft (22) virtually coincides with the position of the longitudinal centre of flotation, both
corrections for deflection and trim are accounted for all at once. It is obvious from (22), that the determination of the
standard equivalent draft (22) does not requires readings of mean draft, as it is normally the case, for example in
20 expression (3). The positions of the draft marks alongside, centred with respect to the longitudinal centre of flotation
that define the standard equivalent draft which is pertinent to the same displacement of the trimmed and deflected hull
as it is of the hypothetically rigid hull on the even keel.
In order to get additional ship service information, if required, there are some additional calculations available in the
procedure, related to the ship’s trim and drafts at traditional positions.
25 The trim with respect to draft marks at new positions is defined as:
trimCM = d oe f − da
oe
(23)
The angle of trim in general is obtained on the basis of the trim itself, and of the distance between the draft marks
amounting 2 xd , as follows:
t CM = trimCM / 2 xd (24)
30 The trim with respect to the perpendiculars is obtained by employing the length between the perpendiculars, as follows:
trimP.P. = t CM ⋅ L pp (25)
Note the positive trim is by bow, negative otherwise.
The aft draft d a and the forward draft d f at the perpendiculars, accounting only for the hull trim and neglecting the
hull deflection, are assessed as follows:
35 d a = d aoe − t CM ⋅ ( L pp / 2 − xd + LCF) (26)
d f = d + tCM ⋅ ( L pp / 2 − xd − LCF)
oe
f
(27)
The mean draft is:
da + d f
dm = (28)
2
Note that for the displacement and trim determinations is sufficient to employ only the two draft readings at specified
o
40 positions. The draft observation at the position of the longitudinal centre of flotation denoted as d LCF , is required only
if the hull deflection at this position is of interest. Otherwise, the draft marks at the positions of the longitudinal centre
of flotation are not needed.
The relative hull hogging or sagging wCM with respect to the observed draft marks is defined by employing the
o se
observed draft d LCF and the equivalent draft d LCF , both at the position LCF, as follows:
45 wCM = d LCF
se
− d LCF
o
(30)
The overall sagging or hogging at the position of LCF, can be assessed by employing wCM and the draft correction
factor C d , as follows
wLCF = wCM / C d .
Note wCM and wLCF are considered positive for hogging and negative for sagging condition.

5
 HR P20010731A

Normally, the amidships deflection wm does not differ significantly of the deflection wLCF at LCF, moreover, the
difference even cannot be practically measured.
The aft draft d a and the forward draft d f at the perpendiculars, accounting for the hull trim and deflection, are
calculated as follows:
5 d a = d aoe − t CM ⋅ ( L pp / 2 − xd + LCF) + wLCF (1 − Cd ) (31)
d f = d + tCM ⋅ (L pp / 2 − xd − LCF) + wLCF (1 − Cd )
oe
f
(32)
For constant draft correction factor Cd=1/4, it follows from (17) that the position factor is Cx=1/4. From (16), it follows
that for xd=±Lpp/4 , is dmse (22) close to dmw1/4 (4), that is, if the draft marks are placed at ±Lpp/4 from amidships, the
equivalent mean draft d mse is very close to the ‘quarter mean draft’ d mw1 / 4 .
10
For ships with traditionally placed draft marks at aft perpendicular, amidships and on forward perpendicular, drafts are
observed on three places aft amidships and forward. This invention employs the observed drafts on board, the average or
mean draft calculated according to (1), hull hogging or sagging according (2), as well as the equivalent draft amidships
according (18) or (19) in order to determination deflected ship’s displacement from hydrostatic data tables or from the
15 displacement curve.. Besides, the ships observed or mean displacements can be determined and then corrected for the
difference of the deflected hull according to (20) or (21).
This invention provides a simplified method for determination of the displacement of deflected ships employing only
two draft marks placed lengthwise centred with respect to the centre of flotation, at the distance defined by (16), or (17),
instead of traditionally placement of draft marks at aft perpendicular, amidships and on forward perpendicular.
20 Technically, the draft observations on the new positions of draft marks, is performed analogously to the observations at
aft perpendicular, amidships and on forward perpendicular, moreover, the draft measurements can be arranged by
adequate automatic devices. The two draft readings at new positions define the standard equivalent draft (22) in order to
determine the displacement of the deflected and trimmed ship’s hull, all at once. Although is not necessary, for some
practical situations may be useful to put draft marks at the positions of longitudinal centres of flotation, Fig. 3. in order
25 to obtain the hull deflection at this position. For the traditional freeboard control is retained the Pllimsol’s mark. The
procedure is applicable on digital computers
In addition, the new draft placement eliminates the problem of encountering hogging on one side and sagging on the
other side for excessively transversely inclined ship hull fitted with traditional draft marks at perpendiculars and
amidships. The alternative placement of draft marks in positions of greater hull breadth in the area of the parallel
30 midbody adds sense for averaging both port and starboard draft marks, even for ships with significant heeling angle. The
loaded conditions with sensible trim and small deflections are of utmost interest for deadweight survey, much more than
the ballast conditions, and therefore the new placement of draft marks nearby the load line in combination with
traditional draft marks at stern which impacts on propeller immersion and rudder effectiveness and at bow, which affects
maneuverability and slamming, appears practical and useful [1].
35

6
 HR P20010731A

Nomenclature
Awl=area of the water-plane;
Bwl=beam of the water-plane;
Cd=correction factor for draft of a deflected hull;
5 CWP=waterline coefficient;
d=draft in general;
IL=moment of inertia of the waterline about a
transverse axis through the centre of flotation;
LCF = centre of flotation of the water-plane;
10 Lwl=length of the water-plane;
MT1=moment to change trim one unit;
TP1=tons per unit of immersion;
xd=positions of equal equivalent and observed drafts;
w=hull deflection in general;
15 Greek symbols
γsea=specific gravity of sea water;
Δ=displacement in general;
Subscripts
a, m, f=related to aft, mean and forward;
20 Superscripts
e, s, o=related to equivalent, standard and observed;
d=related to deflected hull

7
 HR P20010731A

EXAMPLE

The innovation is applied to a bulk-carrier built recently in Croatian shipyards with following main particulars:
Loa=187.63 m, Lpp=179.3 m, B=30.8 m, D=15.45 m, d=10.8 m, DWT=41600 t, Lightship weight=8400 t, Service
5 speed =14.5 knots, The results are presented in Table 1 and on Fig. 1.

Table 1. Example: Hydrostatic data and correction factors according the suggested innovation
for a bulk-carrier built in a Croatian shipyard
d LWL Cwp LCF Awl Δ IL TP1 MT1 Cd 1/Cd Cd Cx Xd AWLCd Cd

m m m m2 t 103m4 t/m tm/m e.10 e.10a e.17 e.16,m m2 e. 14

Ship particulars, Hydrostatic data The true waterline shape Parabolic
0 167.38 0.608 4.000 3136 0 4202 3214 23921 0.191 5.227 0.191 0.219 36.604 600 0.187
1 174.95 0.760 4.520 4048 3816 6827 4149 38873 0.220 4.537 0.220 0.235 41.066 892 0.225
2 177.20 0.785 4.961 4283 8136 7696 4398 43998 0.229 4.369 0.229 0.239 42.390 983 0.233
3 178.42 0.803 5.031 4407 12605 8225 4527 47011 0.234 4.264 0.234 0.242 43.200 1038 0.239
4 178.27 0.818 5.007 4485 17175 8539 4636 49372 0.240 4.173 0.240 0.245 43.633 1082 0.244
5 177.99 0.829 4.734 4542 21811 8781 4664 50471 0.244 4.097 0.245 0.247 43.969 1114 0.248
6 178.10 0.838 4.174 4596 26503 9042 4719 51686 0.248 4.031 0.248 0.249 44.354 1145 0.252
7 178.46 0.847 3.353 4656 31252 9354 4781 53470 0.252 3.963 0.252 0.250 44.822 1181 0.255
8 180.92 0.852 2.223 4725 36068 9761 4853 55630 0.252 3.961 0.251 0.251 45.451 1209 0.257
9 184.40 0.849 0.754 4817 40963 10301 4944 58889 0.252 3.975 0.251 0.251 46.244 1212 0.256
10 183.20 0.873 -0.977 4918 45956 10933 5047 62496 0.265 3.774 0.265 0.257 47.149 1318 0.266
11 183.60 0.886 -1.929 5010 51051 11518 5141 65897 0.273 3.666 0.273 0.261 47.947 1362 0.271
12 184.00 0.898 -2.620 5088 56204 11983 5215 68450 0.278 3.594 0.278 0.264 48.531 1416 0.277
13 184.42 0.908 -2.840 5155 61408 12409 5284 70812 0.283 3.532 0.283 0.266 49.064 1459 0.282
14 184.85 0.916 -3.060 5213 66714 12782 5343 72945 0.287 3.484 0.287 0.268 49.518 1496 0.285

0,3

Cd
Draft correction factor Cd

0,272 Cx
Position fakcor Cx

The effect of the bulbous bow

0,25

True waterline shape

Parabolic waterline shape

0,2 Load line

0 5 10 15
Draft in meters
10
Figure 1. Example: The draft correction factor and the position factor for a bulk-carrier

8
 HR P20010731A

An example of positioning of draft marks according the innovation presented in this patent claims for a bulk-carrier built
recently in Croatian shipyards.

5
Alternative draft marks nearby the
load line

Plimsoll mark
10

LL
LCF
0.6m 0.6m
15

Traditional draft marks

20

Figure 2. Example: The suggested alternative placement of draft marks on ship’s side for a bulk-carrier

25

9
 HR P20010731A

PATENT CLAIMS

1. The method for determination of the displacement of the longitudinally deflected ships, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y
that the displacement of the longitudinally deflected ship’s hull is determined on the basis of the draft readings at aft
5 perpendicular, amidships and at forward perpendicular, at only one side, or averaging readings at both ship’s sides,
d o − 2d m0 + d of
d ao , d mo , d of , using the ship’s hull sagging or hogging wm = a , employing the equivalent draft
2
1 d a + 2d m (c d − 1) + d f
o o o
d me = d mo + wm C d = d mo + wm = , where the draft correction factor Cd or its
cd 2c d
reciprocal value cd=1/Cd, can be calculated for water-plane length Lwl, area Awl, moment of inertia of the waterline
about a transverse axis through the centre of flotation IL, moment to change trim one unit MT1 and tons per unit of

immersion TP1, as follows: C d =

I L / Awl MT 1 L pp
10 ≈ or in an approximate form based only on water-
( Lwl / 2) 2 TP1 ( Lwl / 2) 2
plane coefficient CWP, as follows Cd = 1 .
3( 3 − 2 CWP )
2. The method for determination of the displacement of the longitudinally deflected ships, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y ,
that the displacement of the longitudinally deflected ship’s hull is determined on the basis of water-plane area Awl,
draft correction factor Cd, from the first request and observed displacement Δo, as follows: Δ = Δ + wmγ sea Awl Cd
o

15 or using the standard displacement Δs, as follows Δ = Δs − wmγ sea Awl (1 − Cd ) .

3. The method for determination of the displacement of the longitudinally deflected ships by adequate placement of
draft marks c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y , that the displacement of the longitudinally deflected and trimmed ship’s hull
d aoe + d oe
f oe oe
is determined on the basis of the equivalent draft d mse = , employing draft readings d a , d f at
2
Cd
suggested lengthwise aft and forward positions x d = ± L wl = ± Lwl ⋅ C x , centred with respect to the centre of
2
Cd
20 flotation, where the position factor C x = is defined by the draft correction factor from the first request.
2

10
 HR P20010731A

ABSTRACT

On the ships fitted with traditional draft marks at three positions: at aft perpendicular, amidships and at forward
perpendicular, d ao , d mo , d of , it is possible to define the value of the equivalent draft for hydrostatic calculations, using the
5 data for the ship’s hull as a rigid body on an even keel, employing the observed sagging or hogging amidships wm and
the draft correction factor Cd or the draft correction coefficient cd=1/Cd as follows:
1 d a + 2d m (cd − 1) + d f .
o o o
d me = d mo + wmCd = d mo + wm =
cd 2cd
The procedure for determination of the displacement of longitudinally deflected ships is based on the expression for the
draft correction factor Cd employing actual floating waterline characteristics, such as the waterline length Lwl, water-
10 plane area Awl, longitudinal moment of inertia IL of the waterline about a transverse axis through the centre of flotation,
moment to change trim one unit MT1 and tons per unit of immersion TP1 , as follows: C = I L / Awl = MT 1 L pp , or
d
( Lwl / 2) 2 TP1 ( Lwl / 2) 2
by using the general parabolic approximation for the waterline shape depending only on water-plane coefficient CWP:
1
Cd ≈ . The values of the corrections factors, as presented, can be calculated once for all drafts, already in
3(3 − 2CWP )
the design phase and are valid in the entire ship’s service lifetime. The displacement of a longitudinally deflected ship
15 can be also determined using the water-plane area Awl, the correction factor as defined by the first request, and the
observed displacement Δo, as Δ = Δo + wmγ sea Awl Cd , or the standard displacement Δs, when it is
Δ = Δs − wmγ sea Awl (1 − Cd ) . Besides, the same accuracy can be accomplished by only two draft readings d aoe , d oe
f at
Cd
positions aft and forward x d = ± L wl = ± L wl ⋅ C x , centred with respect to the water-plane centre of flotation,
2
what provide simultaneous corrections due to longitudinal deflection and trim. The position correction factor Cx is
Cd
20 defined as C x = . The equivalent draft for determination of the displacement of longitudinally deflected ships is
2
d aoe + d oe
f
obtained as d mse = .
2

11
 HR P20010731A

Lwlaft Lwlfor
Longitudinal center
of flotation LCF
5 xd xd
wmCd Equivalent hull
wm Water-line
wm(1-Cd) x
Waterplane characteristics
WL AWL, CWP, IL w(x)
CF
10
dme dme wL~wm
Equivalent draft Equivalent draft
equal to equal to
observed draft observed draft
dmo
daoe dL dfoe
15
dmse dfo
dao

dms
20 Base line
A.P. wL F.P
wCM=wLCd
wL(1-Cd)
Lpp /2 Lpp /2
25

Figure 1.

Δ
30
Displacement
wm(1-Cd) curve

wm

35 Accuracy
wm1/4 wmCd improvement

Δw1/4 Δ
dms dme dmw1/4 dmo wmγseaAWL
40

The unit change of displacement Δo Δs

per unit change of drafr γea Awl

Figure 2.
45

11
 HR P20010731A

Alternative draft marks nearby the

5 load line

Plimsoll mark

LL
10
LCF
0.6m 0.6m

15

Traditional draft marks

20
Figure 3.

12