In the present study, based on careful observation on experimental data, physics-based numerical models are developed for sloshing flows in ship cargo. The particular scheme of interest is a finite difference method based on the SOLA-SURF scheme. The technical issues of conventional methods are claimed, and the corresponding remedies are introduced. The present numerical method is validated by comparing computational results with the experimental data measured in model tests. In particular, sensitivity to critical computation parameters, e.g. mesh size, time segment, is observed. The comparison shows a fair agreement of overall fluid motions and hydrodynamic pressures.
Recent activity to build large LNG carriers and design coastal LNG platforms increases the demand of an accurate prediction of sloshing flow and corresponding hydrodynamic loads. Compared to the studies on sloshing flows in late 70s and early 80s, the recent studies have a distinct difference of analysis tool. That is, most studies rely on numerical methods. Due to the dramatic development of computational resources in last two decades, numerical skills are widely used in many engineering fields. Furthermore, many CFD codes are available in commercial market.
Despite a mature computational environment, the direct application of numerical techniques for ship sloshing problem is not easy. One of primary reasons is the occurrence of impact on the tank ceiling and side walls. When hydrodynamic impact is involved, a very careful analysis is required. In particular, in our engineering problem, an accurate prediction of slosh-induced loads on ship structures is the ultimate goal of sloshing analysis. Therefore, we need to predict actual magnitude of impact pressure as well as the kinematics of sloshing flow. For this purpose, the general-purpose computational programs are not considered as an adequate tool.
