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Potential solution for sloshing in a horizontally moving rectangular tank and design of tank velocity profile

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Abstract

Sloshing makes it challenging to transport liquid-containing systems fast. Accurate prediction and effective suppression of sloshing are essential in many industrial applications. Two different methods are commonly used to numerically investigate the sloshing phenomenon: CFD simulation and equivalent mechanical model. Due to each method’s pros and cons, the solutions based on potential flow theory can be a good alternative for sloshing study. However, previous studies mostly focused on sloshing under sinusoidal oscillations, and only a little effort has been made to understand and suppress the sloshing under point-to-point movements. In this study, potential solutions for sloshing in a rectangular tank under horizontal point-to-point movements are newly derived and verified by comparing with the present CFD results. So far, the velocity profile of liquid-containing tanks has attracted little attention from the sloshing suppression point of view. However, simply a suitable choice of velocity profile (acceleration/deceleration duration) can lead to much-reduced sloshing. Results show that the present potential solutions are beneficial for designing the tank velocity profile for minimum residual sloshing under a given condition. It is also shown that the acceleration/deceleration duration affects the sloshing amplitude more significantly than its magnitude.

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Abbreviations

a T :

Tank acceleration

C n :

Modal contribution coefficient

h :

Initial water height

L :

Tank length

T a :

Acceleration duration

T d :

Deceleration duration

T max :

Maximum travelling time allowed

T n :

n -th mode period of natural sloshing

U max :

Maximum velocity

μ T :

Tank velocity

α :

Scalar function for VOF model

ϕ:

Total potential for fluid flow

ϕ tank :

Potential for tank motion

ϕ :

Potential for fluid motion relative to tank

η left :

Perturbed elevation at the left wall

η’ left :

Difference between maximum and minimum water elevations at the left wall

ω n :

Angular frequency of natural sloshing

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Kumoh National Institute of Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi, Gyeongbuk, 39177, Korea

    Dongjoo Kim

Authors
  1. Dongjoo Kim
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Correspondence to Dongjoo Kim.

Additional information

Dongjoo Kim is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kumoh National Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University. His research interests include computational fluid dynamics, flow control, multiphase flow, and particle dynamics.

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Kim, D. Potential solution for sloshing in a horizontally moving rectangular tank and design of tank velocity profile. J Mech Sci Technol 35, 2981–2988 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0621-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0621-1

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