(94c) A Novel Simple Approach to Describe Sloshing in FPSO Vessel Using CFD Simulation

Liquid sloshing in vessels caused by forced acceleration has been the subject of intense investigations for last several decades both by experiments and numerical simulations. Many studies are done to minimize the sloshing induced forces on the vessel internals and some studies focused on different ways to describe the sloshing patterns. Most of the sloshing characterization methods are done using complex mathematical manipulation and more simplified method may be useful for better practical understanding. In this current study, simple/easily understandable methods are explored to describe sloshing phenomenon through Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using ANSYS Fluent software in 3D cylindrical vessel. Several parameters including liquid level/tank length ratio, wave induced vessel motions due to acceleration, motion frequency, amplitudes in various sea state conditions (i.e. surge, sway, yaw, pitch, roll, heave). Parameters such as hydrodynamic force, pressure, moments, kinetic energy, potential energy, turbulent kinetic energy, height of the free surface, vorticity etc. are used to quantify the sloshing intensity.  In addition, qualitative understanding of the sloshing motion is obtain through visual inspections of  the gas-liquid/oil-water interface fluctuation, streamlines, velocity vector profiles etc. An equation connecting the independent variable to resultant quantities will be established. This method will make it easier to describe the sloshing state at various wave induced flow conditions.