Numerical simulation of sloshing flows with impact load

In the present paper, the sloshing flows in the two- and three-dimensional Liquid containers are simulated based on a finite difference method. The Na vier-Stokes equation with free boundary is solved using the SOLA scheme, an d the free surface profile is assumed to be a single-valued function. The g lobal fluid motion is of interest and some local nonlinear phenomena are no t considered. The computation has been carried out for three tanks with and without internal members. A concept of buffer zone is adopted near the tan k ceiling, where a mixed boundary condition of rigid wall and free surface is imposed before an impact. In order to mitigate a series of discrete impa cts, the computed signal is averaged over several time steps. The computati onal results are compared with experimental data and other computational re sults for the validation of the numerical scheme and computer program. The results showed a favorable agreement of impact pressure as well as the glob al fluid motion. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.