Kelluvuuskäyrää

Kelluvuuskäyrää, which translates to "buoyancy curve" in English, is a term used primarily in Finnish naval architecture and engineering. It refers to a graphical representation that illustrates the relationship between a vessel's draft (how deep it sits in the water) and its buoyancy. This curve is a crucial tool for understanding a ship's stability and how it behaves when floating.

The buoyancy curve typically plots the volume of water displaced by the hull at various drafts. As a ship's draft increases, the submerged volume of the hull increases, leading to greater buoyant force. The curve helps designers and operators determine the total displacement and the corresponding buoyant force at any given draft. It's also integral to calculating other important hydrostatic properties, such as the center of buoyancy and the metacentric height, which are vital for assessing a vessel's stability characteristics. Understanding the buoyancy curve is fundamental for ensuring a ship's seaworthiness and safe operation under different loading conditions.