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Lecture 2f

The document discusses the stability of floating bodies, focusing on vertical and rotational stability. Vertical stability is achieved when the weight of the body balances the buoyant force, while rotational stability involves the body's resistance to toppling, categorized as stable, unstable, or neutral. The metacentric height (GM) is a key factor in determining rotational stability, with a positive GM indicating stability.

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Shirley Wang
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10 views17 pages

Lecture 2f

The document discusses the stability of floating bodies, focusing on vertical and rotational stability. Vertical stability is achieved when the weight of the body balances the buoyant force, while rotational stability involves the body's resistance to toppling, categorized as stable, unstable, or neutral. The metacentric height (GM) is a key factor in determining rotational stability, with a positive GM indicating stability.

Uploaded by

Shirley Wang
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lecture 2f:

Stability of Floating Bodies


(Part 1 - Theory)
Stability of Floating Bodies

• For floating bodies, there two types of stability:

(1) Vertical stability


(2) Rotational stability
Vertical Stability

• A body floating in a static fluid has vertical stability when


there is a balance between its weight and the buoyant force
on the object.

• To calculate the depth at which a body will float in vertical


stability:

Weight Buoyant
of Body = Force on
Body
Body drops
Decreases
Small upward Decreases back into
volume of
displacement of buoyant fluid (returns
liquid
body force to
displaced
equilibrium)

Increases Body
Small downward Increases
volume of moves up
displacement of buoyant
liquid (returns to
body force
displaced equilibrium)
Rotational Stability

• Rotational stability of a floating body is the stability


against rotation or toppling.

• Three cases of rotational stability for a floating body:


(1) Stable
(2) Unstable
(3) Neutral
Stable
The body is floating in such a way that an
angular movement of the body sets up a force
couple (moment) on that body that returns the
body to equilibrium.
Unstable

The body is floating in such a way that any


angular movement of the body sets up a force
couple on that body that increases the angular
displacement, which causes the body to
topple over.
Neutral Equilibrium

An angular displacement of the object does


not set up a force couple. The stability of the
body is not affected by angular displacement.
When is a body rotationally stable?

When the centre of gravity (centroid) of the


body is below (or at) its centre of buoyancy
(where the buoyant force will act).
G = centre of
gravity (mass)

C = centre of
C C buoyancy

W = weight of
body

FB = buoyant
force on body

Ref: adapted from Fig. 2.25, page 71: Munson, B.R., Young, D.F., Okiishi, T.H., Huebsch (2009)
Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, 6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey. Reprinted with
permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
C C

Ref: adapted from Fig. 2.26, page 71: Munson, B.R., Young, D.F., Okiishi, T.H., Huebsch (2009)
Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, 6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey. Reprinted with
permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• There are some prismatic floating bodies (boats)
for which the centre of gravity is not below the
centre of buoyancy, yet still are stable.

➡ Tipping creates a restoring moment if the


metacentric height (GM) is positive.
Metacentric Height, GM - Distance from the centre of
gravity at G to the intersection of the buoyant force
before rotation to the buoyant force after rotation at M.

If GM is positive (M
is upward from G),
the body is stable.

GM If GM is negative (M
C’ lies below G), the
body is unstable.
To calculate the metacentric height GM:

Io
GM = − CG
∀

∀ = after tipping submerged volume (if tipped).


Io = moment of inertia of the original “waterline
area” (cross-section cut by water surface before
tipping)
CG = distance between centre of gravity and centre
of buoyancy (before tipping)
Example 2f-1: Vertical Stability
A wooden post is set to float
vertically as shown. A steel ball is
attached at the bottom of the post
in order to keep it vertical. The
post (Sg=0.6) has a square cross-
section 5.1 cm by 5.1 cm and is
2.66 m long. It is floating in
seawater (Sg=1.025). How many
kg of steel (Sg=7.85) should be
added to the bottom end so that
the height of the post that is out of
the water is h=46 cm?
Ref: Adapted from P. 2.113 in White, F.M. (2016). Fluid Mechanics, 8th edition. McGraw-Hill Inc.: New York, NY, USA.
Example 2f-2: Rotational Stability
A 0.3 m diameter cylinder is 0.45 m long and has a specific
weight of 7000 N/m3. Will it float in water when its ends are
horizontal?

Ref: Adapted from Ex. 2.10, page 67 in Potter, M.C., Wiggert, D.C., and Ramadan, B.H., Shih, T.I-P.
(2012). Mechanics of Fluids, SI edition, 4th edition. Cengage Learning, Stanford, Connecticut, USA

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