Wind Effects on Sloshing of a Floating Roof in a Cylindrical Liquid Storage Tank

Abstract

Sloshing of a floating roof in an open-topped cylindrical liquid storage tank under wind loads is investigated analytically. Wind tunnel test in a turbulent boundary layer is carried out to measure the wind pressure distributing over the roof surface. The measured data for the wind pressure is then utilized to predict the wind-induced dynamic response of the floating roof, which is idealized herein as an isotropic elastic plate of uniform stiffness and mass. The dynamic interaction between the liquid and the floating roof is taken into account exactly within the framework of linear potential theory. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the significant effect of wind loads on the sloshing response of the floating roof.