A fully nonlinear model for sloshing in a rotating container

In this paper a theoretical and experimental analysis of sloshing in 2D and 3D free-surface configurations is performed. In particular, the case of a tank rotating around a horizontal axis has been considered. The fluid is as sumed to be incompressible and inviscid. A fully nonlinear mathematical mod el is defined by applying the variational method to the sloshing. The dampi ng of gravity waves has been accounted by introducing a suitable dissipatio n function from which generalized dissipative forces are derived. A modal d ecomposition is then adopted for the unknowns and a dynamical system is der ived to describe the evolution of the physical system. An experimental tech nique has been applied to select the leading modes, whose evolution charact erizes the physical process, i.e. captures the most of the kinetic energy o f the process. A very good agreement between experimental and numerical res ults confirms the validity of the methodological approach followed. (C) 200 0 The Japan Society of Fluid Mechanics and Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.