Numerical modelling of nonlinear baffles on sloshing suppression of rectangular tanks under horizontal excitation

Abstract

Sloshing in a tank refers to the movement of a free liquid surface. It can create resonant liquid vibrations, which can damage tank walls structurally. The horizontal baffles can disperse sloshing energy by reducing impact forces acting on container walls. This work studies the effectiveness of nonlinear baffles on sloshing characteristics. The two-dimensional numerical investigations under horizontal excitation are performed using the Volume of Fluid(VoF) technique. In addition to the nonlinear baffles designed using sine and cosine curves, the conventional horizontal baffle is tested for their effectiveness in suppressing sloshing characteristics. The base computational model is validated with the published data, and the effectiveness of each nonlinear baffle on sloshing characteristics is compared in terms of pressure exerted on the walls of the container. The nonlinear baffles are tested for different excitation amplitudes, fill levels, excitation frequencies and submergence depths is studied. In addition, the variation in the baffle parameters, namely baffle amplitude, the number of baffle cycles and the inclination of baffles, are also considered. The negative amplitude cosine baffles with 2 cm wave amplitude fixed at 0.02m submergence depth possessed the superior suppression on sloshing response among all other nonlinear baffles considered.