How do the stabilzers work?

[ShanZro]

I know they are like wings that come out from the side of the ship and help in ruff seas, but how exactly do they work? Does the wing slow down the ship going side to side with the pressure on the top/bottom of the wings?

 

I probably sound really stupid..lol

[Rounder]

Ship stabilizers are fins mounted beneath the waterline and emerging laterally. In contemporary vessels, they may be gyroscopically controlled active fins, which have the capacity to change their angle of attack to counteract roll caused by wind or waves acting on the ship.

The bilge keel is an early 20th century predecessor. Although not as effective at reducing roll, bilge keels are cheaper[citation needed], easier to install, and do not require dedicated internal space inside the hull.

In November 1932 the ship Conte di Savoia made its maiden voyage. It had three huge gyroscopes fitted low down in a forward hold. These rotated at high revolutions and were designed to eliminate rolling - a persistent problem on the rough North Atlantic crossing that affected all shipping lines. Each of the three flywheels was 13 feet in diameter and weighed 108 tons.

The first mention of automatic stabilizers for ships was in 1932, by an engineer working for General Electric.[1]

The first use of fin stablizers on a ship was by a Japanese cruise liner in 1933. [2]

In 1934 a Dutch liner introduced one of the world's most unusual ship stabilizer systems, in which two large tubes were mounted on each side of the ship's hull with the bottom of the tubes open to the sea. The top of the tubes had compressed air or steam pumped in. As the ship rolled the side it was rolling to would fill with water and then compressed air or steam would be injected to push the water down countering the roll.[3]

 

 

Location and diagram of retractable fin stabilizers on a ship.

 

Photograph of ship stabilizers: a fixed fin stabilizer (front) and bilge keels.

 

 

:D

[big_duck]

Nice cut and paste from Wikipedia. :rolleyes:

[pbsteve]

imagine having your hand flat in a tub of water, moving it up and down, lots of resistance. Same very simplified concept.

[Rounder]

Nice cut and paste from Wikipedia. :rolleyes:

 

Ha,Ha, thank's:rolleyes:

[ShanZro]

Yeah, that only confused me even more...lol :p

 

 

Ship stabilizers are fins mounted beneath the waterline and emerging laterally. In contemporary vessels, they may be gyroscopically controlled active fins, which have the capacity to change their angle of attack to counteract roll caused by wind or waves acting on the ship.

The bilge keel is an early 20th century predecessor. Although not as effective at reducing roll, bilge keels are cheaper[citation needed], easier to install, and do not require dedicated internal space inside the hull.

In November 1932 the ship Conte di Savoia made its maiden voyage. It had three huge gyroscopes fitted low down in a forward hold. These rotated at high revolutions and were designed to eliminate rolling - a persistent problem on the rough North Atlantic crossing that affected all shipping lines. Each of the three flywheels was 13 feet in diameter and weighed 108 tons.

The first mention of automatic stabilizers for ships was in 1932, by an engineer working for General Electric.[1]

The first use of fin stablizers on a ship was by a Japanese cruise liner in 1933. [2]

In 1934 a Dutch liner introduced one of the world's most unusual ship stabilizer systems, in which two large tubes were mounted on each side of the ship's hull with the bottom of the tubes open to the sea. The top of the tubes had compressed air or steam pumped in. As the ship rolled the side it was rolling to would fill with water and then compressed air or steam would be injected to push the water down countering the roll.[3]

 

 

Location and diagram of retractable fin stabilizers on a ship.

 

Photograph of ship stabilizers: a fixed fin stabilizer (front) and bilge keels.

 

 

:D

[ShanZro]

imagine having your hand flat in a tub of water, moving it up and down, lots of resistance. Same very simplified concept.

 

 

Gotcha! Thanks. I need it broken down Burt and Ernie style apparently before I can get it. LOL! :D :p :)

[pbsteve]

Gotcha! Thanks. I need it broken down Burt and Ernie style apparently before I can get it. LOL! :D :p :)

 

I should mention it also acts like a wing of an airplane too, in the way a wing forces the airplane up, the stabilizer can force the ship to essentially rock the opposite as it normally would, resulting in almost no rolling.

[Cushing985]

Stabilizers are great for the rolls but not so much the pitch of the ship. The only time I've ever been seasick was when I was in the Navy going through a storm and the ship's movement (up/down) just did a job on my inner ear.