System and method for carrying out stability tests on a vessel

A method for carrying out stability tests on a vessel by means of a system comprising

• one or more supporting structures, suitable for supporting the vessel above a reference plane;
• inclination means that varies the inclination of the one or more supporting structures with respect to the reference plane;
• detection means that detects a reaction exerted by the one or more supporting structures on the vessel,
• wherein the vessel has a longitudinal axis,
• wherein the inclination means comprises, for each of the one or more supporting structures, one or more supporting elements that are adjustable in height, and
• wherein the system further comprises a control unit that controls variations in height of the one or more supporting elements,
• the method comprising:
• mounting a vessel onto the supporting structures, while the supporting structures are kept parallel to the reference plane;
• measuring, by means of the detection means, values of the reactions exerted by the one or more supporting structures on the vessel;
• determining, from the values measured by the detection means, a total weight of the vessel;
• determining, from the values measured by the detection means, a first position of a projection of a center of gravity of the vessel on a plane on which the one or more supporting structures lie;
• varying the inclination of the one or more supporting structures by a predetermined inclination angle by means of the inclination means, wherein the inclination means varies the inclination of the one or more supporting structures relative to the reference plane by rotating about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel or about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel;
• measuring the values of the reactions exerted by the one or more supporting structures on the vessel by means of the detection means;
• determining, from the values measured by the detection means, a second position of the projection of the center of gravity of the vessel on a plane on which the one or more supporting structures lie after having varied the inclination of the one or more supporting structures by the predetermined inclination angle;
• determining a value of a variation of the position of the projection of the center of gravity of the vessel on the plane on which the one or more supporting structures lie as a difference between the first position and the second position;
• determining a position, in a vertical direction, of the center of gravity of the vessel starting from the value of the variation of the position of the projection of the center of gravity of the vessel on the plane on which the one or more supporting structures lie and from the value of the inclination angle.