Comparison of finite element and pendulum models for simulation of sloshing. (English) Zbl 1084.76539

Aliabadi, Shahrouz; Johnson, Andrew; Abedi, Jalal

Comput. Fluids 32, No. 4, 535-545 (2003).

Summary: The pendulum model is a cost effective tool for the simulation of sloshing. However, the accuracy and applicability of the model has not been well established. We compare the simulation results obtained from the pendulum model and a more complicated finite element model for sloshing of liquids in tanker trucks. In the pendulum model, we assume that the liquid in the tanker is a point mass oscillating like a frictionless pendulum subjected to an external acceleration. In the finite element model, we solve the full Navier-Stokes equations written for two fluids to obtain the location and motion of the free surface. Stabilized finite element formulations are used in these complex 3D simulations. These finite element formulations are implemented in parallel using the message-passing interface libraries. The numerical example includes the simulation of sloshing in tanker trucks during turning.

MSC:

76M10	Finite element methods applied to problems in fluid mechanics
76D27	Other free boundary flows; Hele-Shaw flows

Keywords:

Finite element method; Free surface flows; Simulation of sloshing; Pendulum; model

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