Comparison of experimental and numerical sloshing loads in partially filled tanks

Abstract

Sloshing phenomenon consists in the movement of liquids inside partially filled tanks, which generates dynamic loads on the tank structure. Resulting impact pressures are of great importance in assessing structural strength, and their correct evaluation still represents a challenge for the designer due to the high nonlinearities involved, with complex free surface deformations, violent impact phenomena and influence of air trapping. In the present paper a set of two-dimensional cases for which experimental results are available are considered to assess merits and shortcomings of different numerical methods for sloshing evaluation, namely two commercial RANS solvers (FLOW-3D and LS-DYNA), and two own developed methods (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and RANS). Impact pressures at different critical locations and global moment induced by water motion for a partially filled tank with rectangular section having a rolling motion have been evaluated and results are compared with experiments.