3D SPH Numerical Investigation for the Sloshing Impact in LNG Tank

Sloshing in liquid natural gas (LNG) tankers includes extremely large deformations of the free surface. To better understand such deformations, a three-dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method is developed to analyze the dynamic responses of liquid sloshing in LNG tank. The numerical model solves the Euler equation in the SPH style, the Monaghan-type artificial viscosity has been used in the current SPH model, sloshing wall boundaries were treated by improved coupling boundary pressure treatment. The numerical model is first validated against experimental data for two-dimensional and three-dimensional liquid sloshing in a LNG tank, it shows a fair agreement of overall fluid motions and hydrodynamic pressures. The fields of 3D sloshing pressure and velocity are compared for one period. Finally, the model is used to study 3D liquid sloshing in a tank with vertical baffles. The effect of the baffle on pressure and velocity is investigated and discussed. It shows that the SPH method is a natural numerical technique for coupled fluid-structure problems with large free-surface deformations.