Effects of the flexibility of the structure on sloshing waves in 3D elastic tanks

Abstract

The flexible walls of the liquid container will deform under the sloshing loads. The deformation has a significant influence on the hydrodynamic behavior of the sloshing in the tank. A model test is conducted to study the hydro-elastic effect on the sloshing waves in the elastic square tank. The experimental liquid depth h / L is 0.167. The model tanks are exited in 1D harmonic longitudinal motion and the excitation frequency is close to the lowest natural frequency of the liquid. Due to the influence of the fluid-structure interaction, the lowest natural frequency of the liquid in the elastic tank slightly deviates from that in the rigid tank of the same size. The wave shapes and amplitudes in the rigid and elastic square tanks are classified and analyzed under the 1D harmonic longitudinal excitation with different excitation frequencies. Corresponding to the different wave regimes of the two-dimensional traveling waves, transition state, three-dimensional resonance and the secondary resonance, the free surface elevations are compared between the rigid tank and the elastic tank to investigate the effect of fluid-structure interaction.