Sources of the Measurement Error of the Impact Pressure in Sloshing Experiments

Abstract

Sloshing experiments have increasingly received academic attention. Understanding the measurement errors in the sloshing impact pressures is an important parts of the sloshing experiments since these errors, which arise from experimental conditions, affect the subsequent results. As part of the research on the sources of the measurement errors, focused on the effects of surface conditions of pressure sensors on the measurement of impact pressures. Thirty-six integrated circuit piezoelectric pressure sensors were placed on the upper surfaces of a two-dimensional tank to measure the sloshing impact pressures under surge or pitch motions. For each motion, the experimental conditions were divided in two based on whether the surfaces of the sensors were dry or wet. The peak pressures of each test were measured as twenty repeated experiments to ensure reliability. The flow in the tank was visualized using a high-speed camera to observe and analyze macroscopic and microscopic phenomena along the sensor surface. Thermal shock effects were confirmed by varying the experimental temperature and that of the sensor surface. The effects of the wet surface and droplets formed on the sensor surface on pressure measurements are discussed.