Numerical Study on the Sloshing Moment of a Rectangular Liquid Tank Induced by Forced Roll Excitation Based on the SPH Method

Abstract Tank sloshing is a common physical phenomenon, such as the liquid in the storage tanks of liquid tankers, large crude oil carriers (VLCCs), liquefied petroleum gas carriers (LPG), and liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG) sailing at sea. Tank sloshing typically involves coupled interactions between solids and liquids, generating complex forces and moments that directly affect the performance and stability of the tank itself as well as the overall structure. Therefore, the forces and moments associated with liquid sloshing are of great significance for both scientific research and engineering applications. This study primarily aims to simulate sloshing in a rectangular tank under roll excitation using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method and to validate its reliability and advantages in modeling tank sloshing. The numerical model in this study was developed based on a modified open-source SPH code. The numerical model features a rectangular tank with dimensions of 0.64 meters in length, 0.252 meters in width, and 0.14 meters in height, with its rotation axis located 0.1 meters below the reference plane. First, a sensitivity analysis of particle spacing and time step was conducted to examine their effects on numerical convergence. Subsequently, a recommended parameter configuration for simulating tank sloshing was derived. Using these parameters, simulations were conducted under various conditions, and the results were compared with experimental data. The results indicated a simulation error of approximately 5%, confirming the reliability of the parameter configuration and the SPH method. Furthermore, the effects of roll amplitude and frequency on sloshing wave height and tank moments were systematically examined.