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Numerical simulation of sloshing in rectangular storage tank using coupled FEM-BEM

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Abstract

Sloshing of liquid can increase the dynamic pressure on the storage sidewalls and bottom in tanker ships and LNG careers. Different geometric shapes were suggested for storage tank to minimize the sloshing pressure on tank perimeter. In this research, a numerical code was developed to model liquid sloshing in a rectangular partially filled tank. Assuming the fluid to be inviscid, Laplace equation and nonlinear free surface boundary conditions are solved using coupled FEM-BEM. The code performance for sloshing modeling is validated against available data. To minimize the sloshing pressure on tank perimeter, rectangular tanks with specific volumes and different aspect ratios were investigated and the best aspect ratios were suggested. The results showed that the rectangular tank with suggested aspect ratios, not only has a maximum surrounded tank volume to the constant available volume, but also reduces the sloshing pressure efficiently.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, 91779-48974, Iran

    Hassan Saghi

  2. Faculty of Marine Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran

    Mohammad Javad Ketabdari

Authors
  1. Hassan Saghi
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  2. Mohammad Javad Ketabdari
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Javad Ketabdari.

Additional information

Hassan Saghi received his PhD from department of Civil Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashad in 2012. He is currently a faculty member of Hakim Sabzevari University as associate professor in sabzevar. His current research interest includes Fluid Structure Interaction.

Mohammad Javad Ketabdari was born in 1964. He is currently the associate Profssor of the Faculty of Marine Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic). He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Isfahan University of Technology in 1986, M.Sc. degrees from Engineering Faculty of Tehran University in 1992 and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Birmingham in UK in 1999. He has published in a wide range of conferences and journals more than 150 papers addressing theoretical aspects as well as practical applications in Offshore structures, Coastal structures and marine hydraulics. He supervised BSc, Msc and PhD students in their final projects and is currently teaching Nonlinear Wave Theory and Hydrodynamics of offshore platforms for PhD students.

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Saghi, H., Ketabdari, M.J. Numerical simulation of sloshing in rectangular storage tank using coupled FEM-BEM. J. Marine. Sci. Appl. 11, 417–426 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11804-012-1151-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11804-012-1151-0

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