SINKAGE AND RESISTANCE FOR SHIPS IN CHANNELS

Ships moving in restricted water as in a canal or an inlet to a harbor sink lower in the water and experience greater resistance than they do in open water. The ship settles more because the velocities induced in the water by the motion of the ship are greater and the elevation of the water surface drops correspondingly. The amount of sinkage depends upon the cross sections of the ship and the channel. The resistance also increases because of the constriction of the return flow around the ship. Two remarkably good approximations: (1) The sinkage is the change in potential energy required to produce the kinetic energy of the return flow; and (2) the extra power is that needed to pump the amount of water in the return flow from the lower level back to the original level of the quiet water.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • MCNOWN, J S
• Publication Date: 1976-8

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 287-300
• Serial:
  • Journal of Waterways, Harbors & Coast Eng Div
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Canal operations; Canals; Maneuvering; Navigation; Ship pilotage
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sinkage
• Old TRIS Terms: Restricted water operation; Shallow water effects
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142332
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1976 12:00AM