Mechanical Engineering · Fluids and flight / Principles and inquiry
Buoyancy and ship loading experiment guide
Change cargo and hull width to compare draft, heel, buoyancy and weight.
How does it work?
While floating, buoyancy equals hull and cargo weight.
Key relationship
d = m/(ρAwp) · Fb = ρgVdisplaced
Try this investigation
- Change cargo and hull width to compare draft, heel, buoyancy and weight.
- Run and record each of the three reference settings.
- Change one variable and compare force, deformation or response with the reference records.
Interpreting your results
At equal mass, how does sea-water draft compare?
Slightly shallower · While floating, buoyancy equals hull and cargo weight.
Assumptions and limitations
A box hull has mass 2000 kg and depth 1.5 m. Level hydrostatic draft and small-angle metacentric heel are calculated separately. Large heel, negative stability and sinking dynamics are invalid. Do not reproduce ship loading tests.