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free surface effect

Discussion in 'Yacht Designers Discussion' started by tomer, Jul 8, 2007.

  1. tomer

    tomer New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2007
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    jacksonville florida
    Can anyone shed any light on designing fuel and water tanks to control free surface effect?
    -tomer
  2. CODOG

    CODOG Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2007
    Messages:
    397
    Location:
    Bournemouth, southern England
    Keeping things simple, as the existing vessel / proposed design in question is unknown, free-surface effect can be greatly reduced by....
    Dividing a larger tank into smaller ones, the divisions running fore and aft.
    Keeping the tanks as close to full as possible.
    Positioning the tanks as close to the longitudinal centreline of the vessel (as far inboard) as possible.
    Fitting longitudinal baffles to the tank.

    An additional note for multiple tank layouts, would be to design the fuel / water system so that the furthest outboard tanks are deplenished first, if the tank layout allowed this.
  3. tomer

    tomer New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2007
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    jacksonville florida
    free surface

    thats a big help, thank you
    -tomer
  4. Garry Hartshorn

    Garry Hartshorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2005
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    504
    Location:
    Directly above the center of the earth
    One should also burn off one tank at a time if possible rather than ending up with all tanks half full.