Nonlinear time-domain simulations of ship motion coupled with tank sloshing in waves

Abstract

A hybrid time domain method based on potential flow theory was developed to calculate ship motion coupled with tank sloshing to study the effects of nonlinear external flow on the performance of the coupling motion of ships and sloshing tanks. Nonlinear effects of instantaneous wet surfaces under wave conditions were accounted for when calculating incident wave and static restoring forces. For tank sloshing, a time domain boundary element method was adopted to correct for moments caused by the liquid surface of the tank and to solve for the coupling motion of regular waves under different working conditions. We used S175 as an example to simulate the motion response of liquid-carrying ships, with or without speed, under head and beam sea conditions in regular waves, and compared the results with experimental data for verification. This method, which accounted for nonlinear cases, better simulated ship motion coupled with tank sloshing under different working conditions. Compared with linear methods, this method provides a fast and high-efficiency technical means for engineering applications.