A new tree-shaped baffle design that improves liquid sloshing suppression in tanks

What is it about?

This research looks at how liquids move and create waves inside partially filled tanks, a problem called sloshing. Sloshing can cause strong forces on the tank walls and lead to safety risks in ships, aircraft, and vehicles that carry liquids. Engineers usually add baffles (internal structures) to control these waves, but traditional baffles have limited effectiveness. We propose a new Tree-shaped baffle, which combines both vertical and horizontal branches, similar to a tree structure. Using computer simulations in OpenFOAM, we compared this design to a Plus-shaped baffle under different conditions. The results show that the Tree baffle significantly reduces wave heights and wall forces.

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Why is it important?

Sloshing can damage tanks, reduce stability, and pose safety risks in industries such as shipping, space exploration, and fuel transport. Existing baffle designs are not always efficient, especially under strong excitations. Our Tree-shaped baffle reduces wall forces by more than one-third and wave heights by nearly 30% compared to a Plus-shaped baffle. This improvement offers a practical way to make tanks safer and more stable in real-world engineering applications.

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