Study on sloshing in cargo tanks including hydroelastic effects

Abstract:

The sloshing problem in cargo tanks is studied through experiments and numerical analysis. The fluid motion is described using a higher-order boundary element method and the structural response by a thin plate theory. It was found that hydraulic jumps are formed when the excitation frequency is close to the resonance frequency in the case of low filling depth. In the case of high filling depth, the flow resonates and hits the top of the tank, thus inducing a large impact pressure. The pressure on the flexible plate shows amplified initial peaks followed by oscillatory components, the frequency of which coincides with the natural frequencies of the plate in water as a result of hydroelastic effects.