Analytical modeling of liquid sloshing in a two-dimensional rectangular tank with a slat screen

Abstract

Potential-flow theory is employed with linear free-surface conditions, multimodal method, and a screen-averaged pressure-drop condition to derive an analytical modal model describing the two-dimensional resonant liquid motions in a rectangular tank with a vertical slat-type screen in the tank middle. The tank is horizontally excited in a frequency range covering the two lowest natural sloshing frequencies. The model consists of a system of linear ordinary differential [modal] equations responsible for liquid sloshing in compartments, as well as a nonlinear ordinary differential equation describing the liquid flow between the compartments. New experimental model tests on steady-state wave elevations near the tank wall are reported for the solidity ratios 0.328 ≤ Sn ≤ 0.963 where Sn is the ratio between the solid area and the full area of the screen. The experiments generally support the applicability of the model. The discrepancy can be explained by the free-surface nonlinearity. The screen acts as a damping mechanism for low and intermediate solidity ratios, but it causes an increase in the lowest resonant sloshing frequency at higher solidity ratios as if the screen had been replaced by an unperforated wall.