GEOMETRY OF SHIPS AND SHIP-SHAPED

DEEPWATER FLOATING SYSTEMS

Principles of Naval Architecture, Ed. Lewis, SNAME

http://wetlands.simplyaquatics.com/d/14881-1/chap_1.pdf
Ships and ship-shaped offshore platforms have been key to deepwater field
developments.
 Tankers move oil from its source to the refinery.
 Seismic surveys are done by specially outfitted ships for this purpose.
 Exploratory drilling makes use of drill-ships, which may be called as
ship-shaped drilling rigs.
 Production and processing equipment may be placed on ship- shaped
or barge-shaped structures called FPSOs (floating, production, storage, and
Offloading) units.
 Floating ship-shaped offshore structures serve the functions of storage of
crude oil and their offloading into shuttle tankers.
 Processed oil in platforms may be stored in floating ships or
barge-shaped structures called FSOs (floating, storage, and offloading units),
to be offloaded into shuttle tankers.
It is imperative that design of ship-shaped offshore platforms will require
knowledge of ship geometry, ship stability, ship structural design and
motion of platforms in waves (without speed).

The exterior of ship’s hull is a curved surface which must be represented

precisely so that all internals can be accommodated and the hull can be
built. The shape of the outer surface of the ship’s hull is defined by “Lines
Drawing” or simply the “Lines”. It consists of orthographic projections of
the intersection of hull form with 3 mutually perpendicular (chosen
suitably) planes, all drawn to a suitable scale.
Lines define geometry of “Moulded Surface”, which is the surface inside
the skin (i.e. shell plating) of the ship.
Aft perpendicular
Location.
Sectional Area Curve
 Displaced volume vs. draft
Waterplane area vs. draft
Body plan section Bonjean curve
Bonjean curves
The longitudinal prismatic coefficient (CP) is the ratio of the immersed
volume to the volume of a prism with length equal to the ship’s and cross-
section area identical to the midship section.

The vertical prismatic coefficient (CVP) is the ratio of the immersed hull
volume to the volume of a prism having a length equal to the ship’s draft and
a cross section identical to that of the waterplane.

Typical dimensional ratios

Ship type L/B B/T T/D
General Cargo 6.3 to 6.8 2.1 to 2.8 0.66 to 0.74
Tankers 7.1 to 7.25 2.4 to 2.6 0.76 to 0.78
VLCC 6.4 to 6.5 2.4 to 2.6 0.75 to 0.78

Weight displacement of ship ∆ = ρ∇ (ρ is density of water)

ρ = 1025 ton/m3 (sea water, SW); 1000 ton/m3 (fresh water, FW)
Hydrostatic Curves or Curves of Form
Two major conditions of loading are referenced in dealing with
commercial vessels:
 Lightship, Lightweight, or Light Displacement – The ship with all
items of outfit, equipment, and machinery, including boiler
water and lubricating oil in sumps, but without cargo, provisions, stores,
crew, or fuel.
 Fully Loaded – Lightship plus cargo, fuel, stores, etc., to settle the
ship to her load line. Also loaded, load, or full-load displacement. For
ships designed to carry different classes of cargo, full-load conditions
may be tabulated for each type of cargo.
The trim and stability booklet will normally tabulate stability data for
ballasted and partly loaded conditions, and for end of voyage and
intermediate conditions with varying amounts of fuel and stores
consumed.
Deadweight (DWT) is the load carried by a ship. It is the difference between
the lightship displacement and total displacement of the ship at any time.
Maximum or load deadweight is the carrying capacity of a ship measured in
2,240-pound long tons, and is the difference between the lightweight and
fully loaded displacements. Deadweight includes fuel, provisions,
munitions, crew and effects, cargo, or any other weight carried. For a
merchant ship, cargo deadweight, paying deadweight, or payload is the
part of the deadweight that is cargo and therefore earning income.
 Tons per cm of immersion: TP cm = ρAWP / 100

For rectangular waterplane:

IT = LB3/12, IL = BL3/12

Tp = Draft, T = Draft variable, K: Keel, B: Cnetre of buoyancy,

M: Transverse Metacentre, ML: Longitudinal metacentre,
G: Centre of gravity, BM = Transverse metacentric radius,
BML = Longitudinal metacentric radius, GM = Transverse metacentric height,
GML = Longitudinal metacentric height.
(a) and (c) are 180 deg apart.
Ships are inclined by various external forces:
 Wave action,
 Wind,
 Collision,
 Grounding,
 Shifting of onboard weights, and
 Addition or removal of weight.
Heel – Noncyclic, transient inclinations caused by forces that may be
removed or reversed quickly. Such forces include wind pressure, centrifugal
force in high-speed turns, large movable weights, etc.
List – A permanent, or long-term inclination, caused by forces such as
grounding or offcenter weight that are not likely to be removed suddenly.
Roll – When an inclining force is suddenly removed, a ship does not simply
return to its upright position, but inclines to the opposite side and oscillates,
or rolls, about its equilibrium position for some time before coming to rest.
Rolling is cyclic in nature and is induced or aggravated by short duration,
repetitive or cyclic forces, such as wave forces.
GZ = GM sin φ
Righting moment = W×GZ
 Inclining Experiment
The measurable effects of off-centerplane weight are used to
determine height of center of gravity in an inclining experiment. By
shifting a known weight (w) a specified distance (d) athwartship, the
movement of the center of gravity can be determined.

Righting moment = W .GZ = W .GM sin φ

Heeling moment = wd cos φ
wd
Equating RM and HM; GM =
W tan φ
KG =KM − GM =KB + BM − GM
A ship’s afloat stability can be impaired or otherwise changed by any of the
following:
· Addition, removal, or shift of weight, changing KG,
· Change in the shape of the submerged hull from grounding or hull
damage changing KM,
· Free surface effect of loose liquids (FS), causing a virtual rise of G,
· Free communication with the sea (FC), causing a virtual rise of G, or
· Any combination of the above.

The first three conditions affect stability of the intact ship as well. Only free
communication with the sea is predicated on damage to the hull.
GM = KM − KG − FS − FC
Evaluation of Large Angle and Dynamical Stability
Pressure on ship due to beam winds: P
 Ships with large GM develop large initial righting arms and therefore
respond to moderate disturbing forces with sharp, short-period rolling.
These ships are said to be stiff.
 Ships with smaller metacentric heights develop smaller initial righting
arms and roll more gently in a seaway. Ships with small GM are said to
be tender.
 Insufficient initial stability results in constant rolling in even gentle seas,
making work difficult, and may allow extreme rolling in heavier seas,
perhaps causing the ship to take on water or capsize.
 Excessive initial stability, or stiffness, is also undesirable because it
produces an uncomfortable ride, reduces personnel effectiveness,
increases lateral acceleration loads on topside cargo and equipment,
and increases hull stresses.
The term seakindly is used to describe a ship whose metacentric height
is great enough to give adequate stability, but not large enough to cause
excessive stiffness.

The natural rolling period is a function of weight and buoyancy

distribution and can be expressed as a function of GM and transverse
radius of gyration (k):

TR = natural rolling period, seconds

k = transverse radius of gyration of the ship mass
≈ 0.4 to 0.5 times the beam