Fluid Mechanics

FM-1,L # 01

Stability & Buoyancy

 Stability
A floating body reaches to an equilibrium state, if
1) its weight = the buoyancy
2) the line of action of these two forces become collinear.

The equilibrium: stable, or unstable or neutrally stable.

• Stable equilibrium: if it is slightly displaced from its
equilibrium position and will return to that position.

• Unstable equilibrium: if it is slightly displaced form its

equilibrium position and tends to move farther away from
this position.

• Neutral equilibrium: if it is displaced slightly from this

position and will remain in the new position.
 Stability of Immersed and
Floating Bodies

Stability is easily
understood by
analyzing a ball
on the floor.

For floating bodies such as ships, stability is

an important consideration for safety.
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 Principles of Stability
Floating object is acted on by forces of gravity and forces of buoyancy
◦ Static equilibrium Fi = 0
Three conditions of static equilibrium:
◦ Stable: return to same position if tipped
◦ Neutral: when rotated, will come to rest in any position
◦ Unstable: will come to rest in new position if force acts on it
A floating body possesses vertical stability,
while an immersed neutrally buoyant body
is neutrally stable since it does not return to
its original position after a disturbance.

An immersed neutrally buoyant body is

(a) stable if the center of gravity G is
directly below the center of buoyancy B
of the body, (b) neutrally stable if G
and B are coincident, and (c) unstable if
G is directly above B.

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Moments
Definition: tendency of a force to produce rotation or to
move an object about an axis
◦ Distance between the force and axis of rotation is the
moment arm
Couple: two forces of equal magnitude in opposite and
parallel directions, separated by a perpendicular distance
◦ G and B are a couple
Moments
Depending on location of G and
B, two types of moments:
◦ Righting moment: tends to return
ship to upright position
◦ Upsetting moment: tends to
overturn ship
Magnitude of righting moment:
◦ RM = W * GZ (ft-tons)
◦ GZ: moment arm (ft)
Metacenter
Definition: the intersection of two
successive lines of action of the
force of buoyancy as ship heels
through small angles (M)
◦ If angle too large, M moves off
centerline
Metacenter
Metacentric Height (GM)
◦ Determines size of
righting/upsetting arm (for
angles < 7o)
GZ = GM*sin
◦ Large GM -> large righting arm
(stiff)
◦ Small GM -> small righting arm
(tender)
Metacenter
Relationship between G and M
◦ G under M: ship is stable
◦ G = M: ship neutral
◦ G over M: ship unstable

STABLE UNSTABLE
A floating body is stable if the body is bottom-heavy and thus
the center of gravity G is below the centroid B of the body, or
if the metacenter M is above point G. However, the body is
unstable if point M is below point G.

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Metacentric height GM: The distance between the center of
gravity G and the metacenter M—the intersection point of the
lines of action of the buoyant force through the body before
and after rotation.
The length of the metacentric height GM above G is a measure
of the stability: the larger it is, the more stable is the floating
body.
Any Questions

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