BUOYANCY AND STABILITY

BUOYANCY
DEFINITION
It is an upward force exerted by a fluid that
opposes the weight of an immersed object. In a
column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a
result of the weight of the overlying fluid.

Buoyant Force

The force remains even

without the original fluid.

It must balance the

weight that would have
been there.

This is the buoyant force.

Equals the fluid weight
Directed upward
Acts on the volume

Fb = mg

Fbuoy Vg

Sinking and Rising

Fb = Vg
W = mg

Fb = Vg
W = mg

An object in a fluid
displaces a volume that
had some mass.
If the object is heavier
than the fluid it sinks.
Vg ismg
IfFthe
object
lighter it
net
rises.

a ( Vg mg ) / m

Archimedes Principle
An object suspended in a fluid has
less apparent weight due to
buoyancy.

FT = mg Vg

Fb = Vg

W = mg

Iceberg

An iceberg has an average

density of 86% of
seawater.

What fraction of the

iceberg is underwater?

The buoyant force is the

weight of water displaced
by the iceberg: Fb =
waterVsubg.
The weight is the total
weight of the ice: Wi =
iceViceg.
Find the ratio of Vsub/ Vice
We know the ratio ice/water
waterVsubg = iceViceg
Vsub/ Vice = ice/water = 0.86

Center of Buoyancy
The force of buoyancy acts at the
center of mass of the missing fluid.
The displacing object has a center of
gravity at its center of mass.
The two forces may not act at the
same point.

Tippy Canoe

If a forces on an object
act at different points
there is a torque.

Buoyant force above the

center of mass is stable.
The torque moves it
back to the center

Buoyant force below the

center of mass is
unstable.
The torque moves it
away from the center
next

STABILITY
A floating object is stable if it tends
to restore itself to an equilibrium
position after a small displacement.
For example, floating objects will
generally have vertical stability, as if
the object is pushed down slightly,
this will create a greater buoyancy
force, which, unbalanced by the
weight force, will push the object
back up

Stability of Immersed and Floating

Bodies

Centers of buoyancy and gravity do not coincide

A small rotation can result in either a restoring or

overturning couple.
Stability is important for floating bodies

Stability of an immersed body

Stability of a
completely
immersed body
center
of gravity below
entroid.

Stability of a completely
immersed body center
of gravity above
centroid.

Stability of a floating body

ECONOMIC PIPE DIAMETER

The diameter of the pipe strongly
influences the present value of the
plant, through both the annual cost of
electric power and the installation cost
of the piping system (pipe, pumps,
valves, etc.). The net result is that there
is a minimum cost as manifested in the
net present value (which is negative if
one considers the piping system in
isolation of the rest of the plant). The
diameter
corresponding
to
this
minimum cost is known as the
economic pipe diameter.

Economic pipe selection method

Introduction
The economic pipe selection method is use to
balance fixed cost of pipe with annual energy
cost for pumping
With large pipe sizes, the average flow velocity
for a given discharge decreases, causing a
corresponding decrease in friction loss
This reduces the head on the pump and energy
can be saved
However, larger pipes are expensive

 To balance these costs and to find the

minimum cost, we will annualise the
fixed costs, compared with annual
energy costs.
We will take into account interest
rates and inflation rates to make the
comparison
This is basically an engineering
economics problem specially adapted
to make the selection of pipe sizes

Principle steps
Determine the equivalent annual
cost for purchasing each available
pipe size
Determine the annual energy cost of
pumping
Balance the annual cost for adjacent
pipe size
Construct a graph of system flow
rate v/s section flow rate

Pipe size vs cost