INCLINING EXPERIMENT

This is a simple experiment which is carried out on the completed ship to determine the metacentric height, and hence the height of the centre of gravity of the ship. If the height of the centre of gravity of the ship is known, it is possible to calculate its position for any given condition of loading. It is therefore necessary to carry out the inclining experiment on the empty ship (or as near to empty as possible). The experiment is commenced with the ship upright. A small mass m is moved across the ship through a distance d. This causes the centre of gravity to move from its original position G on the centre line to G1. (fig shown in right) If = displacement of ship Then, GG1 = (m*d) /

The ship then heels to angle , when the centre of buoyancy moves from B to B1, in the same vertical line as G1. But the vertical through B1 intersects the centerline at M, the transverse metacentre. GG1 = GM tan Therefore GM tan = (m*d) / GM = (m*d) / (*tan )

To determine the angle of heel it is necessary to suspend a pendulum from, say, the underside of the hatch. The deflection a of the pendulum may be measured when the mass is moved across the deck. Thus if l = length of pendulum

tan = a/l GM = (m*d*l) / (*a) The height of the transverse metacentre above the keel may be found from the metacentric diagram and hence the height of centre of gravity of the ship may be determined, KG = KM - GM