A parametric study on wave–floating storage tank interaction using coupled VOF-FDM method

Abstract

In this paper, a two-dimensional numerical model was developed for generating wave in a numerical wave tank, and simulating wave–floating storage tank interaction using coupled volume of fluid (VOF) and fast-fictitious domain method (FDM). In the developed model, the fluid flow is considered as viscous and incompressible, and, therefore, Navier–Stokes and continuity equations were used as governing equations. The FDM was used in the VOF technique for tracking the free surface and storage tank motion. The Navier–Stokes equations were discretized using staggered grids finite difference method, and solved by SMAC method. Airy and solitary waves were generated using numerical wave tank, and the results were validated using the wave-maker theory. In this step, floating bodies with different dimensions were modeled under the Airy waves with different amplitudes and periods. Then, the effect of the sloshing phenomenon was considered, and a novel multi-dimensional equation was presented for maximum heave motion prediction of the half-full floating storage tanks. The results show that the sloshing phenomenon increases the maximum have motion of the floating storage tank between 1 and 5%. In the next step, the optimum storage tank dimensions were suggested, considering the heave motion of the tank. Based on the results, the floating storage tank is optimized, when the aspect ratio of the tank is AR = 2. Furthermore, the effect of fill percentage was evaluated on the heave motion of the storage tank. The results show that heave motion is maximized, when the fill percentage of the tank is 60%. Finally, the floating storage tanks were modeled under the solitary waves. The results show that the maximum heave motion of floating body against solitary wave has a linear relation with the wave amplitude of solitary wave.