Three-dimensional analysis of transient slosh within a partly-filled tank equipped with baffles

The directional dynamic analyses of partly-filled tank vehicles have been limited to quasi-static fluid motion due to computational complexities associated with dynamic fluid slosh analyses. The dynamic fluid slosh causes significantly higher magnitudes of slosh forces and moments in the transient state that cannot be characterized through quasi-static approach, which provides reasonably good estimates of the mean responses. In this study, a three-dimensional nonlinear model of a partly-filled cylindrical tank with and without baffles is developed to investigate the significance of resulting destabilizing forces and moments caused by the transient fluid slosh, and the effects of baffles. The baffles and the end caps are modeled with curved shapes. The analyses are performed under varying magnitudes of steady lateral, longitudinal and combinations of lateral and longitudinal accelerations of the tank, and two different fill volumes using the FLUENT software. The results of the study are presented in terms of mean and peak slosh forces and moments, and variations in the mass moments of inertia of the fluid cargo within a clean bore and a baffled tank, for two different fill volumes and different magnitudes of acceleration excitations. The ratios of transient responses to the mean responses, termed as amplification factors, are further described to emphasize the significance of dynamic fluid slosh on the forces and moments induced on the vehicle. The results in general suggest that the mean responses attained from dynamic fluid slosh analyses correlate well with those attained from the quasi-static analyses for a clean bore tank. The amplification ratios of the resulting forces and moments could approach as high as 2. The results clearly show that the presence of baffles helps to suppress the peak as well as mean slosh forces and moments significantly.