FLUID MECHANICS

APPLICATIONS OF BUOYANT
FORCE

INTRODUCTION

Buoyancy or upthrust, 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. Thus the pressure at the bottom of a column of fluid is
greater than at the top of the column. Similarly, the pressure at the bottom of an object
submerged in a fluid is greater than at the top of the object. The pressure difference
results in a net upward force on the object. The magnitude of the force is proportional
to the pressure difference, and (as explained by Archimedes' principle) is equivalent to
the weight of the fluid that would otherwise occupy the volume of the object, i.e. the
displaced fluid.

For this reason, an object whose average density is greater than that of the fluid in
which it is submerged tends to sink. If the object is less dense than the liquid, the force
can keep the object afloat.

It’s applications are :

1.​ ​HARNESSING WAVE ENERGY​ :

Wave energy generation can be done in various ways. Some of these include the use
of buoys floating at the surface of the water that move in tandem with wave motion.
This motion is used to actuate linear generators, either submerged in case of off-shore
installations (actuated with the help of cables) or on land (Actuated with mechanical
linkages) which in turn create an EMF. The power thus generated is fed into the grid
through a sub-station since the generator may create power unevenly over a period of
time, which requires moderation before being fed into the grid.
This kind of a generator would not work without buoyant force since it helps the buoy
lift and fall with the waves. Without buoyant force, the buoy would have been unable to
follow the motion of the wave, hence create no energy. The power generated by a
wave in deepwater where the height of water is greater than the amplitude of waves is
given by the equation

with P the wave energy flux per unit of wave-crest length, Hm0 the significant wave
height, Te the wave energy period, ρ the water density and g the acceleration by
gravity. The above formula states that wave power is proportional to the wave energy
period and to the square of the wave height. When the significant wave height is given
in metres, and the wave period in seconds, the result is the wave power in kilowatts
(kW) per metre of wavefront length.

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2. ​RESEARCH / TRANSPORTATION USING BALLOONS AND BLIMPS​ :

The balloon floats because the hot air inside it is less dense than the cold air surround
it, giving rise to a buoyancy force acting upwards through B. When this force equals the
total weight of the balloon and basket, acting through the centre of gravity G, the
balloon will float at a constant altitude. As the wind changes and the occupants of the
basket move around, the balloon will rock through a small angleθ. Since the centre of
buoyancy is higher than the centre of gravity, any angular displacement produces a
turning moment which acts to ​restore​ the balloon to an upright position. Such an
arrangement is said to be in stable equilibrium.
Now look at the bizarre case in the right-hand diagram. The buoyancy force again
equals the weight, but here any angular displacement causes a turning moment which
makes the basket topple over. The reason for this is that the centre of buoyancy B is
below G. The situation is known as unstable equilibrium.

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3. ​SHIPS FLOAT INSTEAD OF SINKING​ :

 ​ ship floats on the surface of the sea because the volume of water displaced by the
A
ship is enough to have a weight equal to the weight of the ship. A ship is constructed in
a way so that the shape is hollow, to make the overall density of the ship lesser than the
sea water. Therefore, the buoyant force acting on the ship is large enough to support its
weight. A ship submerge lower in fresh water as fresh water density is lesser than sea
water. Ships will float higher in cold water as cold water has a relatively higher density
than warm water. A coin thrown in water will sink because the buoyant force does not
balance the weight of the coin as the volume of water displaced by coin is less. ​An
object will float if the buoyancy force exerted on it by the fluid balances its weight, i.e. if
FB=mg .

Here the centre of gravity G may lie above buoyancy centre B and still the floating body
may give a stable unstable or neutral system depending upon the position of metacentric
point. The point of intersection of line action of the buoyant force before and after the tilt
is called as metacentre M and the distance GM is called as metacentric height. The
weight of ship W acts vertically downwards through centre of gravity G and the buoyant
force Fb acts upwards through centre of buoyancy B. If M lies above G then GM is
considered as positive and the system is stable. The couple generated is of restoring
nature and tries to bring the ship back to its original position. If M lies below G the GM is
considered as negative and system is unstable. The couple generated is of overturning
nature and tries to tilt the body still further. If G coincides with M then it is a neutral
system.

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4. ​Submarines :
A submarine can float because the weight of water that it displaces is equal to the​ weight of
the ship. This displacement of water creates an upward force called the buoyant​ ​force and
acts opposite to gravity which would pull the ship down. Unlike a ship, a submarine can
control its buoyancy, thus allowing it to sink and surface at will.

To control its buoyancy, the submarine has ballast​ ​tanks and auxiliary, or trim​ ​tanks, that can
be alternately filled with water or air. When the submarine is on the surface, the ballast tanks
are filled with air and the submarine's overall density is less than that of the surrounding
water. As the submarine dives, the ballast tanks are flooded with water and the air in the
ballast tanks is vented from the submarine until its overall density is greater than the
surrounding water and the submarine begins to sink (negative​ b ​ uoyancy). A supply of
compressed air is maintained aboard the submarine in air flasks for life support and for use
with the ballast tanks. In addition, the submarine has movable sets of short "wings" called
hydroplanes on the stern (back) that help to control the angle of the dive.

To keep the submarine level at any set depth, the submarine maintains a balance of air and
water in the trim tanks so that its overall density is equal to the surrounding water (neutral
buoyancy). When the submarine reaches its cruising depth, the hydroplanes are leveled so
that the submarine travels level through the water. Water is also forced between the bow and
stern trim tanks to keep the sub level

When the submarine surfaces, compressed air flows from the air flasks into the ballast tanks
and the water is forced out of the submarine until its overall density is less than the
surrounding water (positive​ ​buoyancy) and the submarine rises. The hydroplanes are angled
so that water moves up over the stern, which forces the stern downward; therefore, the
submarine is angled upward. In an emergency, the ballast tanks can be filled quickly with
high-pressure air to take the submarine to the surface very rapidly.

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5. ​Density measurement :
The most common and perhaps the oldest experiment to measure the density of any body is
the Crown Experiment by Archimedes in the first century BC. The experiment is based on the
concept of Buoyancy that is also known as Archimedes Principle.
The buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the
object. For water, with a density of one gram per cubic centimeter, this provides a convenient
way to determine the volume of an irregularly shaped object and then to determine its density.
The experiment is demonstrated pictorially below.

Another technique is described for measuring absolute and relative liquid density based on
Archimedes' principle. The technique involves placing a container of the liquid under test on
an electronic balance and suspending a probe (e.g. a glass marble) attached to a length of
line beneath the surface of the liquid. If the volume of the probe is known, the density of liquid
is given by the difference between the balance reading before and after immersion of the
probe divided by the volume of the probe. A test showed that the density of water at room
temperature could be measured to an accuracy and precision of 0.01 ± 0.1%. The probe
technique was also used to measure the relative density of milk, Coca-Cola, fruit juice, olive
oil and vinegar.