Equipment for Engineering Education

Instruction Manual
HM150.39 Stability of a Floating
Body - Additional Bodies

G.U.N.T. Gertebau GmbH

P. O. Box 1125
D-22881 Barsbttel Germany
Phone (040) 670854-0
Fax
(040) 670854-42

Metacentric Height Alternative

All rights reserved G.U.N.T. Gertebau GmbH, Barsbttel, Germany

04/01

HM150.39

Instruction Manual

Please read and follow the instructions before the first installation!

Publication-No.:

917.000 39 A 150 12

04/01

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Table of Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Unit description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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04/01

3.1

Buoyancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3.2

Stability of floating body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3.3

Determination of metacentre position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.1

Calculation of centre of gravity position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Introduction
The position of the so-called metacentre, the
metacentric height, is of crucial significance to the
stability of a floating body.
The metacentric height is an essential factor when
assessing the stability of a ship in waves.

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04/01

The Metacentric Height Alternative HM 150.39

permits concepts such as

Buoyancy

Centre of gravity

Centre of buoyancy

Metacentre

Heel

to be experimentally investigated.

Fig. 1.1

Heeling of a ship

1 Introduction

The apparatus is of simple, clear design and is

particularly suitable for practical work in small
groups.

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Unit description

6
7

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04/01

Fig. 2.1

Side and front view

Profiles of pontoons:

The unit essentially consists of two different

pontoons (1).
The pontoons are fitted with a vertical sliding
weight (2) to permit adjustment of the height of the
centre of gravity and a horizontal sliding weight (3)
to generate a defined heeling moment. The sliding
weights can be fixed in position using knurled
screws.
The positions (4, 5) of the sliding weights and the
draught (6) of the pontoon can be read off scales.
A heel indicator (7) with scale in degrees is also
provided.

2 Unit description

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Theory

3.1

Buoyancy

A body floats in a liquid if the buoyancy of the fully

immersed body is greater than its weight. It will
only sink into the liquid until the buoyancy FA
corresponds exactly to its dead weight FG. The
buoyancy is then the weight of the water displaced
by the body. The centre of gravity of the displaced
water mass is referred to as the centre of buoyancy
A. The centre of gravity of the body is known as
the centre of mass S.

FG

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04/01

FA

Fig. 3.1

Buoyancy

3.2

Stability of floating body

MA
M

zm
S
FG

FA

Of far greater importance is the existence of a

stabilising, resetting moment in the event of

deflection or heel out of the equilibrium position

(Fig.:3.2). Dead weight FG and buoyancy FA then
form a force couple with distance b, which provides
a righting moment. This distance or the distance
between the centre of gravity and the point of
intersection of line of action of buoyancy and
gravity axis, is a measure of stability. This point of
intersection is referred to as the metacentre M and
the distance between the centre of gravity and the
metacentre is called the metacentric height zm.

b
Fig. 3.2

3 Theory

For a floating body to be stable, buoyancy FA and

dead weight FG must have the same line of action
and be equal and opposite (Fig.:3.1). Stability does
not necessarily demand that the centre of mass
S be below the centre of buoyancy A.

Metacentre and
metacentric height

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

The following conditions then apply to stable

floating:
zm > 0

S
A

Stable floating of a body occurs when the

m e t a centric height zm is positive, i.e. the
metacentre M is above the centre of gravity
S (Fig. 3.3, top).
zm > 0

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04/01

stable

zm < 0

M
A

Unstable floating of a body occurs when the

metacentric height zm is negative, i.e. the
metacentre M is below the centre of gravity S
(Fig.3.3, bottom).
zm < 0

unstable
Fig. 3.3

Metacentre and
stability

3.3

Determination of metacentre position

The position of the metacentre is not governed by
the position of the centre of gravity. It merely
depends on the shape of the portion of the body
under water and the displacement. There are two
methods of determining the position by way of
experiment.
In the first method, the centre of gravity is laterally
shifted by a certain constant distance xs using an
additional weight, thus causing heeling to occur.
Further vertical shifting of the centre of gravity
alters the heel . A stability gradient formed from

3 Theory

Vertical centre of gravity position zs

HM150.39

the derivation
Metacentre M

04/01

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Metacentric Height Alternative

Measured values

Stability gradient

Fig. 3.4

d xs
d

Graphical determination of
metacentre

zm

FG
S
xs

A
FA

Fig. 3.5

Theoretical determination of
metacentric height

d xs
d

is then defined. The stability

gradient decreases as the vertical centre of gravity

position approaches the metacentre. If centre of
gravity position and metacentre coincide, the
stability gradient is equal to zero and the system
is metastable.
This problem is most easily solved using a graph
(Fig. 3.4). The vertical centre of gravity position is
plotted versus the stability gradient. A curve is
drawn through the measurement points and
extended as far as the vertical axis

d xs
=0
d

. The

point of intersection with the vertical axis then gives

the position of the metacentre.

With the second method of determining the

metac entre, it is assumed that, given a stable
heel position, dead weight FG and buoyancy FA
have one line of action. The point of intersection
of this line of action with the central axis gives
the metacentre M (Fig. 3.5). The heel angle
and the lateral displacement of the centre of
gravity xs yield the following for the metacentric
height zm
zm = xs cot

3 Theory

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Experiments

4.1

Calculation of centre of gravity position

mv = 550g

x
z

The horizontal position is referenced to the centre

line:

Centre of gravity
position without
vertical sliding weight
zg = 8.08cm

04/01
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mh = 193g

The first step is to determine the position of the

overall centre of gravity xs, zs from the set position
of the sliding weights. The example is calculated
with the datas of the pontoon with the form of a
ship.

Total weight not including sliding weight mv

m = 3594g

xs =

m + mv + mh

= 0.0445 x .

The vertical position is referenced to the underside

of the floating body:
zs =

Fig. 4.1

mh x

mv z + m zg + mh zh
m + mv + mh

Position and size of

sliding weights

= 7.114 + 0.127 z.

zh = 9.4 cm = konstant
Stability gradient:
d xs

xs

In the same way it is possible to determine the

position of overall centre of gravity of the pontoon
with the form of a half circle.
The data of the centre of gravityof the pontoons
are written in the chapter technical data.

4 Experiments

HM150.39

Metacentric Height Alternative

Technical data
Floating body
Length:
Width:
Height of sides:
Overall height

310
200
120
274

mm
mm
mm
mm

All rights reserved G.U.N.T. Gertebau GmbH, Barsbttel, Germany

04/01

Weights
Floating body not including sliding weights:
Ship
3594 g
Half Circle
2522 g
Vertical sliding weight
550 g
Horizontal sliding weight
193 g
Centre of gravity position without sliding weights:
Ship
xs (from centre)
zs (from underside)

0.00
80.8

mm
mm

0.00
50.94

mm
mm

Half Circle
xs (from centre)
zs (from underside)

5 Technical data