Numerical simulation of sloshing loads and structural response analysis for irregular liquid tanks

Abstract

In the present study, a three-dimensional numerical model of an irregular tank with curved inclined wall and bulkhead girders is developed by integrating the VOF method, the WRAP mesh generation technique, and a free‑surface tracking algorithm. Systematic simulations of liquid sloshing are carried out under a range of filling levels and excitation conditions. The time-history curves of sloshing impact pressures are computed at selected monitoring points along the height direction, which facilitates the in‑depth analysis of free‑surface evolution characteristics under varying excitation conditions and reveals the spatial distribution patterns of peak sloshing loads acting on the tank bulkhead and internal components. Subsequently, the temporally and spatially distributed dynamic sloshing loads are mapped onto the FEM of the liquid tank structure through the PATRAN platform. Comparative analyses of structural responses are subsequently carried out to evaluate the influence of sloshing loads on the structural safety of the tank. The research findings provide theoretical basis and numerical references for the anti-sloshing design and structural strength evaluation of complex liquid tanks. The results reveal that the ratio of the stress values under dynamic load application to those under static load application ranges from 0.897 ~0.981, and the hydrostatic pressure accounts for a large proportion of the total sloshing pressure.