Numerical study on suppressing violent transient sloshing with single and double vertical baffles

Abstract

The effectiveness of vertical baffles of different configurations in suppressing violent transient sloshing was numerically investigated with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Volume-of-fluid (VOF) and large eddy simulation (LES) models were employed to simulate a violent wave-breaking phenomenon at finite water depths under resonance conditions. The liquid elevation, total impact pressure and energy dissipation were measured to evaluate the damping effect with regard to the installation of single or double vertical baffles of different heights and separation distances. The results indicate that the interaction between the free surface and the vortex caused by the shearing effect at the tip of vertical baffles constitutes the essential mechanism responsible for damping the sloshing wave. A quantitative method is first proposed to distinctively quantify the viscous dissipation that occurred on the interface and interior of the fluid, and the results demonstrate that strong internal dissipation is most important for suppressing the sloshing wave. The spacing distance is important for the damping effect on the sloshing pressure, and the proper distribution of two vertical baffles can inhibit the peak impact pressure to more than about three times lower than that when double baffles with a poor arrangement are used.