Dynamic Analysis of Partially Filled Non-circular Cylindrical Shells with Liquid Sloshing

Abstract

The paper investigates the dynamic behavior of thin-walled reservoirs containing an ideal liquid taking into account the effects of hydroelastic interaction and sloshing. A mathematical statement of the problem is based on the principle of virtual displacements, which accounts for the pre-stressed non-deformed state of the shell caused by various force factors. The behavior of compressible liquid is described by linearized Euler equations, which are transformed by the Bubnov–Galerkin method. The dynamics of partially filled circular and elliptical cylindrical reservoirs are investigated numerically using a finite element procedure. It has been shown that allowing for sloshing considerably reduces eigenfrequencies of vibrations of the examined systems but has inessential effect on the displacements of the structure under non-stationary loads. Based on the modal analysis we present a classification of eigenmodes of free surface oscillations of a liquid in vertical tanks. It has been found that due to consideration of the sloshing effect, the frequency spectrum of the system can split into two parts in the case when the vibration frequencies of liquid differ from the vibration frequencies of an empty shell. Moreover, under harmonic excitation consideration of liquid sloshing leads to a more complicated amplitude-frequency curve characterized by displacement jumps.