Finite Element Coupled Slosh Analysis of Rectangular Liquid Filled Laminated Composite Tanks

Abstract

This paper presents the sloshing response and coupled dynamic behaviour of rectangular liquid filled laminated composite tanks under harmonic base excitation. For the numerical simulation of the problem, the finite element method is used to develop an integrated computational scheme in 3-D, which accounts for the coupling effect between liquid sloshing and the tank vibration. Dynamic responses are computed in the time domain using Newmark's predictor-multicorrector-algorithm. Both fluid transients and structural dynamics problems are dealt with separately before solving the coupled slosh problems. A computer code is developed which generates numerical data for the slosh frequency, sloshing displacement, free surface profiles, hydrodynamic pressure, deformed structural modes and the container response due to the change in the hydrodynamic pressure. The solution procedures are applied to both rigid and flexible containers to demonstrate the effect of tank flexibility on the overall slosh phenomenon and structural response. The effects of lamination scheme, free surface wave and decoupled analysis approach on the tank wall response are also investigated. To the best knowledge of the authors, the results of similar cases involving the interaction of fluid with laminated composite tanks, are not available in the open literature.