Three-dimensional liquid sloshing in a tank with baffles

• Published in: Ocean engineering Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 202 - 212
• Main Authors: Liu, Dongming, Lin, Pengzhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Baffles; Exact sciences and technology; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Liquid sloshing; Marine construction; Non-inertial reference frame; Three-dimensional numerical model; Two-phase flow; Virtual boundary force method; VOF method; Virtual boundary force method; Two-phase flow; Baffles; Non-inertial reference frame; VOF method; Three-dimensional numerical model; Liquid sloshing; Two phase flow; Time series; Tank; Implementation; Three dimensional model; Tanker; Numerical simulation; Mathematical model; Baffle; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0029-8018; 1873-5258
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2008.10.004

A numerical model has been developed to study three-dimensional (3D) liquid sloshing in a tank with baffles. The numerical model solves the spatially averaged Navier–Stokes equations, which are constructed on a non-inertial reference frame having six degree-of-freedom (DOF) of motions. The large-eddy-simulation (LES) approach is employed to model turbulence by using the Smagorinsky sub-grid scale (SGS) closure model. The two-step projection method is employed in the numerical solutions, aided by the Bi-CGSTAB technique to solve the pressure Poisson equation for the filtered pressure field. The second-order accurate volume-of-fluid (VOF) method is used to track the distorted and broken free surface. The baffles in the tank are modeled by the concept of virtual boundary force (VBF) method. The numerical model is first validated against the available analytical solution and experimental data for two-dimensional (2D) liquid sloshing in a tank without baffles. The 2D liquid sloshing in tanks with baffles is then investigated. The numerical results are compared with other results from available literatures. Good agreement is obtained. Finally, the model is used to study 3D liquid sloshing in a tank with vertical baffles. The effect of the baffle is investigated and discussed.