STABILITY QUESTION
Archimede's Principle states that a body immersed in a fluid experiences an upthrust equal to
the weight of the fluid displaced
Principle of flotation: When a body is floating in a liquid, the weight of liquid displaced equals to
the weight of the body.
Displacement is the mass of water displaced by a ship and, when floating freely, the mass of
water displaced equals to the mass of the ship,
Light displacement is the mass of the empty ship without any cargo, fuel, lubricating oil, ballast
water, freshwater, passengers and crew and their effects.
Load displacement is the total mass of the ship when she is floating in salt water with her
summer loadine at the water surtace.
Deadweight (DWT) of a ship is the total mass of cargo, fuel, freshwater, etc., that a ship can
carry, when she is floating in salt water with her summer loadline at the water surface.
DWT of ship = load displacement - light displacement
Deadweight aboard is the total mass of cargo, fuel, ballast, fresh water, etc, on board at present.
DWT aboard = present displacement - light displacement
Block coefficient (C), or coefficient of fineness of displacement, at any draft is the ratio of the
underwater volume of the ship at that draft to a rectangular box having the same extreme
dimensions.
Cb = Underwater volume/LxBxd
Reserve buoyancy (RB) is the volume of the enclosed spaces above the waterline. It maybe
expressed as a volume in m or as a percentage of the total volume of the ship.
RB = Total volume - underwater volume
Tonnes per centimetre (TPC) is the number of tonnes required to cause the ship to sink or rise
by one centimeter. In Si units TPC is indicated as tcm-'.
TPC= (A/100) × density of water displaced
FWA is the increase in draft when a ship goes from SW to FW and vice versa.
FWA = W/40xТРС
The centre of gravity (G or COG) of a ship is that point through which the force of gravity may be
considered to act vertically downwards with a force equal to the weight of the ship.
The centre of buoyancy (B or COB) of a ship is that point through which the force of buoyancy
may be considered to act vertically upwards, with a force equal to the weight of water displaced by
the ship.
It is the geometric centre of the water displaced i.e. the geometric centre of the underwater volume
of the ship.
List is the transverse inclination caused by unequal distribution of weights on either side of the
centre line of the ship. In other words, list is caused when the COG of the ship is not on the centre
line - an internal cause. A ship with a list will become upright only if the COG is brought to the
centre line.
STABILITY QUESTION
Heel is the transverse inclination of the ship caused by external forces such as wind, waves,
centrifugal force during course alterations, over-tight moorings in port, etc.
Transverse metacentre (M)
When a vessel is heeled (inclined by an external force), the force of buoyancy, acting vertically
upwards through the new position of COB, cuts the centre line of the ship at a point called the
transverse metacentre (M).
Metacentric height (GM)
It is the vertical distance between the centre of gravity and the metacentre. GM is termed positive
when G is below M i.e., when KG is less than KM and negative when G is above M i.e., when KG
is greater than KM.
Righting lever (GZ)
When a vessel is heeled inclined by an external force), the force of buoyancy, acting vertically
upwards through the new position of COB, becomes separated from the force of gravity, acting
vertically downwards through the COG, by a horizontal distance called the righting lever (GZ).
GZ = GM. Sin e (for small angle less than 15 degrees)
GZ = Sin O (GM + ½ BM Tan2 e)
Righting moment
When a vessel is heeled (inclined by an external force), the forces of gravity and buoyancy, being
equal and opposite, become separated by a horizontal distance called the righting lever and form
a couple which tends to return the vessel to upright. The moment of this couple is a measure of
the tendency of the vessel to return to upright and is hence called the righting moment or 'Moment
of statical stability'.
RM = W.GZ for all angles of heel.
Stable equilibrium
When a vessel is heeled (inclined by an external force), if she tends to come back to her original
condition, she is said to be in stable equilibrium.
For a vessel to be stable, her GM must be + i.e., KM> KG
Unstable equilibrium
When a vessel is heeled (inclined by an external force), if she tends to continue heeling further,
she is said to be in unstable equilibrium.
For a vessel to be unstable, her GM must be - i.e., KM< KG.
Neutral equilibrium
When a vessel is heeled (inclined by an external force), if she has no tendency to return to her
original condition or to continue heeling further, she is said to be in neutral equilibrium.
For a vessel to be in neutral equilibrium, her GM must be 0 i.e., KM= KG
Angle of loll
When an unstable vessel heels over to progressively increasing angles of heel, it may happen
that, at some angle of heel, the COB may come vertically below the COG. The vessel would then
be in neutral equilibrium. The angle of heel at which this happens is called the angle of loll.
Free Surface Effect
When a ship has a partially filled tank and it rolls at sea, the liquid inside the tank moves towards
the lower side during each roll. This movement of the liquid causes the angle and period of the roll
to increase. It's as if the ship's stability has decreased, so we call this phenomenon the free
surface effect (FSE). The free surface effect happens because of the movement of the liquid in the
tank, which affects the ship's balance and stability.
FSC =(i/V) x (di/do)
STABILITY QUESTION
