Prediction of splash noise in a rectangular tank under longitudinal periodic excitation

Abstract

Sloshing phenomena within fuel tanks have emerged as a significant contributor to noise in hybrid and high-end vehicles, particularly as other sources of noise, such as those from the engine and transmission system, minimized. The manifestation of noise during sloshing results from the dynamic interplay between the fluid within the tank and both its surrounding structures and the fluid itself. “Splash noise” is an acoustic phenomenon which arises due to pressure fluctuations induced by fluid-fluid interactions during sloshing. Thus, the generation of splash noise encompasses a multi-physics process involving fluid flow and acoustic radiation. Accurate prediction of splash noise is crucial for implementing measures to mitigate it during the design phase. The current paper proposes a hybrid approach for predicting splash noise within a rectangular tank. The first step in the methodology is to predict the flow field within the tank, from which acoustic sources are computed. These sources are then utilized to calculate the sound propagation based on the acoustic analogy. To emulate a regime dominated by fluid-fluid interactions, periodic longitudinal excitations are imposed on the rectangular tank, both with and without baffles. Parameters such as fluid free-surface profile, tank wall pressures, and radiated sound pressure levels are systematically calculated and subsequently validated against experimental results available in the existing literature.