Free Surface Effect

DCAD ROCLOYD LIGASON

Emsstrom Batch D12
 Free Surface
• (fluid mechanics) A boundary between two
homogeneous fluids.
• The upper surface of a layer of liquid at which
the pressure on the liquid is equal to the external
atmospheric pressure, assumed constant. The
existence of a free surface is expressed, in
hydrodynamics, by the relation Dp/Dt = 0 on
the free surface, where;
p is the total fluid pressure; this relation is often
referred to as the free- surface condition and is a
special case of a dynamic boundary condition.

A
 Free Surface Effect
• Is one of several mechanisms where a craft can become
unstable and roll-over (capsize).

• It refers to the tendency of liquids — and of aggregates

of small solid objects, like seeds, gravel, or crushed ore
which can act as liquids — to move in response to
changes in the attitude of a craft's cargo holds, decks, or
liquid tanks in reaction to operator-induced motions (or
sea states caused by waves & wind acting upon the craft
Loose Water
“It is the shifting of liquid from side to side as a
ship rolls, i.e. water that partially fills a
compartment, as a result of underwater
damage, drainage, or fire fighting.”

B
“Liquid that only partially fills a compartment is
said to have a free surface that tends to
remain horizontal (parallel to the waterline).
When the ship is inclined, the liquid flows to
the lower side (in the direction of inclination),
increasing the inclining moment.”
Why does free surface always
remain horizontal, parallel to the
water line?

C
A liquid in a gravitational field will form a free surface if
unconfined from above.

Under mechanical equilibrium this free surface must be

perpendicular to the forces acting on the liquid; if not
there would be a force along the surface, and the
liquid would flow in that direction.

Thus, on the surface of the Earth, all free surfaces of

liquids are horizontal unless disturbed (except near
solids dipping into them, where surface tension
distorts the surface locally).
Background;
 If the tank contains a solid weight,
and the ship is inclined, the center
of buoyancy shifts in the direction
of the inclination and righting
arms (GZ) are formed.
Figure No. 1

 Replacing the solid with a liquid of

the same weight, when the ship is
inclined, the surface of the liquid
remains horizontal. This results in
a transfer of "a wedge of water,"
which is equivalent to a horizontal
shift of weight, causing gravity to
shift from G0 to G2.
Figure No. 2
The wedge of water transferred increases as
the angle of inclination increases, therefore,
the center of gravity shifts a different amount
for each inclination.

Figure No. 3
Due to the horizontal shift of the center of gravity, the righting arm is now G2Z2. To
determine the effect on stability, a vertical line is projected upward through G2 (see
below). Where this line crosses the ship’s centerline is labeled G3.

The righting arm G3Z3 is the same length as the righting arm G2Z2.

Therefore, moving the ship’s center of gravity to position G2 or G3 yields the same
effect on stability. Movement from G0 to G3 is referred to as a Virtual Rise of the
center gravity.

Figure No. 4
We can calculate the virtual rise in the centre of
gravity due to the free surface effect by using
the formula;

Figure No. 5

Where:

B = The breadth (width) of the compartment

L = The length of the compartment
WF = The ship’s final displacement (after flooding water added)
Free Surface Effect
 Increases with length and width of the
compartment

 Increases when displacement decreases

(de-ballasting)

 Is independent of the depth of the liquid

 How does free surface
affect the vessels
stability?

D.1
 Free surface effect becomes a problem in
a craft with large partially-full bulk
cargo compartments, fuel or water
tanks, especially if they are located
spanning its fore to aft centerline.

 If a compartment or tank is either

empty or full, there is no change in
the loading of the mass, or the craft's
center of mass as it rolls from side to side
(in strong winds, heavy seas, or on sharp
motions or turns) Figure no. 6

 If the tank is only half-full,

however, the liquid in the tank will
respond to the craft's heave, pitch,
roll, surge, sway or yaw. For example,
as the craft rolls to the left (port), a liquid
will move so that much of it is now on the
left (port) side of a tank, and this will
move the craft's center of mass and center
of moment towards the left (port). This
has the effect of slowing the craft's return
to vertical.
Figure no. 7
• The free surface effect becomes
worse if the craft then rolls
through the vertical towards the
right (starboard). It takes time for
the liquid in the tank to respond
and move towards the right
(starboard) side of the tank.

• After the craft rolls through the

vertical towards right (starboard),
most of the liquid moving in the
craft's tank then slams into the
right (starboard) side of the tank,
often with the effect of causing
the craft to heel further over, as
the liquid mass hits the bulkheads
of the tank.
Figure no. 8

In turbulent winds, heavy sea states, or on rough roads, this can

become a positive feedback loop, causing each roll to become
more and more extreme, until the craft rolls-over (capsizes).
“The higher up these
fluid motions occur,
especially above either
the craft's center of
moment (buoyancy) or
center of mass, the
more pronounced the
instabilities.”
Figure no. 9
Factors Affecting
Free Surface Effect
1. POCKETING
Free Surface Effect can be reduced, to some extent, by creating
pocketing. Pocketing occurs when the surface of the liquid contacts the
top or bottom of the tank, reducing the breadth (B) of the free surface
area.

Pocketing with top of tank. Pocketing with bottom of tank.

Figure no. 10
2. SURFACE PERMEABILITY
Impermeable objects (engines, pumps, piping systems, etc) inside
a flooded space project through and above the liquid surface.
These objects inhibit the moving water and the "shifting of the
wedge" may or may not be complete, thus reducing Free Surface
Effect. The impermeable objects also occupy volume, reducing the
amount of flooding water (movable weight) that can fill the space.

Figure no. 11
3. SWASH BULKHEADS (BAFFLE PLATES)
In addition to some structural support, these bulkheads are
designed to reduce Free Surface Effect. They are longitudinal
bulkheads that hinder, but do not prevent, the flow of liquid from
side to side as the ship rolls or heels. They are found in tanks,
Figure no. 12
voids, double bottoms, bilges, etc.

4. SLUICE VALVES
Sluice valves allow opposing tanks to be cross-connected. When large,
partially filled tanks are connected, Free Surface Effect increases, and the
vessel becomes less stable. Ships like oilers and tenders use these
valves to create long, slow roll periods during ammunition handling and
refueling.

Sluice Valve Closed: Sluice Valve Open:

Figure no. 13
• Free surface effect can affect any kind of
craft: ranging from watercraft (where it is
most common) to bulk cargo or liquid
tanker semi-trailers and trucks (causing
either jackknifing or roll-overs), or aircraft
(especially fire-fighting water-drop and
refueling tankers where baffles mitigate but
do not eliminate the effects).

• Flooding, liquid cargo leakage, or

unintended water (from precipitation or The Estonian-flagged ro-ro
passenger ferry ESTONIA
waves) in any compartments or on any departed from Tallinn, the capital

decks of watercraft, and the resulting free

of Estonia, on 27 September
1994 at 1915 hrs for a scheduled

surface effect are often a contributing cause voyage to Stockholm, the capital
of Sweden . She carried 989
of accidents, capsizes and casualties e.g. the people, 803 of whom were
passengers.
loss of
• TEV Wahine (Wellington, New Zealand, April 1968),
• the MS Herald of Free Enterprise (Zeebrugge, Belgium,
March 1987), and
• MS Estonia (Baltic Sea, September 1994).
 What can
be done to
minimize
the
free surface
effect?

D.2
To mitigate the hazard of “free surface effect”, cargo vessels
use multiple smaller bulk compartments or liquid tanks,
instead of fewer larger ones, and possibly baffling within
bulk compartments or liquid tanks to minimize the free
surface effects on the craft as a whole. Keeping
individual bulk compartments or liquid tanks either
relatively empty or full is another way to minimize the
effect and its attendant problems.

E
• Tankers are fitted with compartments so that there
are several tanks instead of one big tank. Even though
the same quantity of oil is carried, the center of gravity
of individual oil tanks will also shift, but the
summation of all the centers of gravities, does not shift
the center of gravity of the ship that significantly as
before.

• Another way to minimize the free surface effect is to

fill the tanks nearly full. In this case there is less room
for the liquid to move about freely. This method may
be a bit difficult to control for tanks carrying
consumables like fuel oil, domestic water, and potable
water.

• The shape of the tanks can also be built to ensure

stability, but in most cases, ships are built for maximum
storage capacity and the rectangular cross sectional
shape is most feasible.
Figure no. 14

• For cargoes, i.e grains which are carried on bulk should

be trimmed reasonably level and spaces in which they
are loaded should be filled as fully as is practicable,
without resulting in excessive weight on the supporting
structure.
 Special provisions should be made for stowing dry cargoes which flow very
freely, in a similar manner to grain. Securing arrangements, such as shifting
boards or bins, should be used whenever the amount, location or properties of
the cargo could cause excessive heeling through cargo shift, taking into
account the density of the cargo.

Figure no. 15
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 REFERENCES:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_surface_effect

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_surface

 http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media

 http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/swos/dca/stg4-03.html

 http://www.free-marine.com/i8freesurface.htm

 http://www.balticsworldwide.com/images/mseesti.jpg

 http://www.marinefirefighting.com/Pages/Newsletters/Newsletter6.htm

 http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/Tp10038/27-stab-free-surface-effect.htm

 http://www.safety-at-sea.co.uk/mvestonia/

 http://www.sspa.se

 PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS

 Image A,B,C,D.1,D.2,E,F courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com

 MV Estonia image source: http://www.balticsworldwide.com/images/mseesti.jpg

 ILLUSTRATIONS

 Figures 1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13 : http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/swos/dca/stg4-03.html

 Figures 6,7,8 : http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/Tp10038/27-stab-free-surface-effect.htm

 Figures 9,14 : http://www.free-marine.com/i8freesurface.htm

 Figure 15 :http://www.google.com
glossary:
 Fluid Dynamics/ Hydronomics
 a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics dealing with fluid flow: liquids and gases
in motions.

 Baffling
 partitions placed in tanks to reduce shifting of the water load and to give the
tank greater structural integrity.

 Inertia
 the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless
acted upon by an external force

 Jackknifing
 means the accidental folding of an articulated vehicle (i.e. one towing a
trailer) such that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife.
 Fluids
Continuous amorphous matter that tends
to flow and to conform to the outline of
its container:
a liquid or a gas