Numerical simulation of liquid sloshing using arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian level set method

Tadashi Watanabe

doi:10.1260/1750-9548.5.4.339

Abstract

Liquid sloshing in an oscillating tank is simulated numerically as a fluid-structure interaction problem using the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian and the level set coupled method, in which the computational grid points are moved with the velocity of the tank. It is shown by comparing the simulation results with the existing experimental results that the sloshing behavior of the free surface is predicted well by the present method. The simulation results are also compared with the case using the body force, in which the body force term is included in the fluid equations and the grid points are not moved. The difference between the moving grid method and the body force method is made clear both theoretically and numerically, and the limitation of the body force method is discussed.

Highlights

Thermal-hydraulic phenomena with two-phase flows are seen widely in nuclear engineering fields, and predictions of complicated interfacial phenomena are of practical importance
The stratified two-phase flow field and the motion of the free surface in the oscillating tank have been simulated numerically to assess the methodology for simulating reactor thermal hydraulics under seismic conditions
The moving grid method, where the oscillating tank was modeled directly using the moving grid of the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method with the oscillating velocity, was compared with the body force method, where the effect of tank motion was simulated using an oscillating body force acting on the fluid in the stationary tank

Summary

Introduction

Thermal-hydraulic phenomena with two-phase flows are seen widely in nuclear engineering fields, and predictions of complicated interfacial phenomena are of practical importance. The stratified two-phase flow field and the motion of the free surface in an oscillating tank are simulated numerically as a sample problem of the thermal-hydraulic behavior under seismic conditions.

Results

Conclusion