How Can a Sculpture Be Engineered to Float and Stay Stable in Water?

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A manufacturing engineering student is tasked with designing a device to keep a 485kg sculpture floating in a 5m deep pond, maintaining a 5-10mm distance from the water level. The design involves a framework with floats that counteract the sculpture's weight through buoyancy. Participants in the discussion emphasize the importance of calculating the total volume of the assembly to determine the necessary water displacement for buoyancy. Archimedes' principle is suggested as a foundational concept for understanding flotation and stability in water. The thread seeks guidance on flotation calculations and design strategies for the project.
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Hello all,

Upon stumbling the forum during research I noticed some very helpful posts, and joined.

This is my first post, to introduce myself I am an Manufacturing Engineering student with a large project on my hands and looking for sources of information.

I have been given the task of designing a device that will allow a sculpture to float in a pond of 5m depth. The sculpture has to maintain a 5-10mm distance from water level at all times leaving only the sculpture visible and the device fully submerged! (4-5" WATER LEVEL DEVIATION THROUGHOUT YEAR) meaning sculpture will be moving up&down.

The sculpture is of 485kg. The idea is to place the sculpture on framework incl. floats which will keep the sculpture afloat, by "counteracting" the weight of the structure against the upward force created by the floats (buoyancy).

where am I going with this? Well... I hope that with your knowledge of flotation/buoyancy calculations etc. I could be pointed in the right direction of information that would help me find out how I can make this work! :DMany thanks in advance,
Paul.

Just some pics to maybe make more sense of this post!

(wood sculpture, grey = framework/structure, Yellow = floats, concrete base to sit on pond floor)

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You will need to determine the volume of your entire assembly so that you can determine the amount of water it will displace. This is a necessary first step.
 
In knowing the total volume figure, thus the amount of water displacement, how would you go about calculating the buoyancy needed?
next step?

thankyou for reply
 
Do you know Archimede's principle? If not, look it up.
 

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