UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

School of Construction &

Civil Engineering

BUOYANCY

2012 APR
UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

Buoyancy

1.0 Introduction
The method of calculating the forces on a curved surface applies to all shapes of surface and,
therefore, to the surface of a totally submerged object (Figure 1). Considering any vertical plane VV
through the body, the projected area of each of the two sides on this plane will be equal and, as a result,

the horizontal forces will be equal and opposite. There is, therefore, no resultant horizontal force F

on the body due to the pressure of the surrounding fluid. The only force exerted by the fluid on an
immersed body is vertical and is called the buoyancy or upthrust. It will be equal to the difference
between the resultant forces on the upper and lower parts of the surface of the body. If ABCD is a
horizontal plane,

Upthrust on body = Upward force on lower surface ADEC – Downward force on upper surface ABCD
= Weight of volume of fluid AECDGFH – Weight of volume of fluid ABCDGFH
= Weight of volume of fluid ABCDE,
Therefore,
Upthrust on body = Weight of fluid displaced by the body,

Figure 1 Buoyancy.

and will act through the centroid of the volume of fluid displaced, which is known as the centre of
buoyancy. This result is known as the “Archimedes’ principle”. As an alternative to the proof given
above, it can be seen that, id the body were completely replaced by the fluid in which it is immersed, the
forces exerted on the boundaries corresponding to the original body would exactly maintain the

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

substituted fluid in equilibrium. Thus, the upward force on the boundary must be equal to the
downward force corresponding to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

Figure 2 Body immersed in two fluids.

If a body is immersed so that part of its volume

V 1 is immersed in a fluid of density ρ1 and the rest

of its volume
V 2 in another immiscible fluid of mass density ρ2 ,

Upthrust on upper part,

R1 =ρ1 gV 1

acting through
G1 , the centroid of V 1 ,

Upthrust on lower part,

R2 =ρ2 gV 2

acting through
G2 , the centroid of V 2 ,

Total upthrust =
ρ1 gV 1 +ρ 2 gV 2

The positions of
G1 and G2 are not necessarily on the same vertical line, and the centre of

buoyancy of the whole body is, therefore, not bound to pass through the centroid of the whole body.

2.0 Equilibrium of floating bodies

When a body floats in vertical equilibrium in a liquid, the forces present are the upthrust R

acting through the centre of buoyancy B (Figure 4) and the weight of the body W=mg acting

through its centre of gravity. For equilibrium, R and W must be equal and act in the same straight

line. Now, R will be equal to the weight of fluid displaced, ρ gV , where V is the volume of
fluid displaced; therefore,

V =mg /ρg=m/ ρ

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

Figure 3 types of equilibrium.

The equilibrium of a body may be stable, unstable or neutral depending upon whether, when given a
small displacement, it tends to return to the equilibrium position, move further from it or remain in the
displaced position. For a floating body, such as a ship, stability is of major importance.

Figure 4 Body floating in equilibrium.

3.0 Stability of a submerged body

For a body totally immersed in a fluid, the weight W=mg acts through the centre of gravity

of the body, while the upthrust R acts through the centroid of the body B, which is the centre of
buoyancy. Whatever the orientation of the body, these two points will remain in the same positions
relative to the body. It can be seen from Figure 5 that a small angular displacement from the equilibrium

position will generate a moment W .BG.θ . If the centre of gravity G is below the centre of buoyancy
B (Figure 5(a)), this will be a righting moment and the body will tend to return to its equilibrium position.
However, if (as in Figure 5 (b)) the centre of gravity is above the centre of buoyancy, an overturning
moment is produced and the body is unstable. Note that, as the body is totally immersed, the shape of

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

the displaced fluid is not altered when the body is tilted and so the centre of buoyancy remains
unchanged relative to the body.

Figure 5 Stability of submerged bodies.

4.0 Stability of floating bodies

Figure 6 (a) shows a body floating in equilibrium. The weight W=mg acts through the centre of

gravity G and the upthrust R acts through the centre of buoyancy B of the displaced fluid in the same

straight line as W . When the body is displaced through an angle θ , W continues to act through

G; the volume of liquid remains unchanged since R=W , but the shape of this volume changes and

its centre of gravity, which is the centre of buoyancy, moves relative to the body from B to B 1 .

Since R and W are no longer in the same straight line, a turning moment proportional to W .θ is
produced, which in Figure 6 (b) is a righting moment and in Figure 6(d) is an overturning moment. If M is

the point at which the line of action of the upthrust R cuts the original vertical through the centre of
gravity of the body G,
x=GM .θ
Provided that the angle of tilt θ is small, so that sin θ=tan θ=θ in radians.
The point M is call the “metacentre” and the distance GM is the “metacentric height”.
Comparing Figure 6(b) and Figure 6(d) it can be seen that:

1. If M lies above G, a righting moment W .GM . θ is produced, equilibrium is stable and GM is

regarded as positive.

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

2. If M lies below G, an overturning moment W .GM .θ is produced, equilibrium is unstable and

GM is regarded as negative.
3. If M coincides with G, the body is in neutral equilibrium.

Figure 6 Stable and unstable equilibrium.

Since a floating body can tilt in any direction, it is usual, for a ship, to consider displacement about the
longitudinal (rolling) and transverse (pitching) axes. The position of the metacentre and the value of the
metacentric height will normally be different for rolling and pitching.

5.0 Determination of position of metacentre relative to the centre of buoyancy

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

Figure 7 Height of metacentre above centre of buoyancy.

For a vessel of known shape and displacement, the position of the centre of buoyancy B is comparatively
easily found and the position of the metacentre M relative to B can be calculated as follows. When a

vessel is tilted through a small angle θ , the centre of buoyancy will move to B ’ as a result of the
alteration in the shape of the displaced fluid. For small angle of tilt,
B B' =BM θ

Figure 8 Analytical determination of metacentre.

Consider an element of width δx ,

The volume of the element, δV =δx (x tan θ )l≈δx . x .θ . l (small angles)

Resulting moment caused by displacement of one element, δM =δx .x .θ.l. ρg .x

Total resulting moment caused by displacement of all elements, ∫ δM=∫ x2 ρgθ.l .δx

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

M x =∫ x 2 ρgθ.l.dx= ρgθ∫ x 2 dA
M x =ρgθ . I , I is the second moment of area

The movement of the centre of buoyancy to B' produces a moment of the buoyancy force about the

original centre of the buoyancy B (Figure1) and that should be equal to moment,
Mx .
'
Moment of due to movement of buoyancy force = Vρg.B B

ρgθ . I=B B' .Vρg

ρgθ .I=BM θ .Vρg
BM =I / V

6.0 Periodic time of oscillation

The displacement of a stable vessel through an angle θ from its equilibrium position

produces a righting moment T which is given by T =W .GM . θ , where W=mg is the weight

of the vessel and GM is the metacentric height. This will produce an angular acceleration d 2 θ/dt 2 ,

and, if I is the mass moment of inertia of the vessel about its axis of rotation,

d2 θ T W .GM . θ GM .θg
2
= =− 2
=−
dt I (W /g ) k k2

where k is the radius of gyration from its axis of rotation. The negative sign indicates that the
acceleration is in the opposite direction to the displacement. Since this corresponds to simple harmonic
motion,

Displacement θ
t=2 π
√ Acceleration
=2 π

t=2 π [ k 2 / ( GM . g ) ]
√
√[ GM . θ . ( g /k 2 ) ]
Periodic time,

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UBLLCL-20-2 Fluid Mechanics Lecture Notes – Buoyancy

from which it can be seen that, although a large metacentric height will improve stability, it produces a
short periodic time of oscillation, which results in discomfort and excessive stress on the structure of the
vessel.

REFERENCES
Douglas, J.F., Gasiorek, J.M., Swaffield, J.A., Jack, L.B. (2005). Fluid Mechanics, 5th edition.
Pearson.

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