Numerical and experimental study of anti-slosh performance of combined baffles in partially filled tank vehicles

A numerical model based on VOF (Volume of Fluid) method is established to analyze liquid sloshing phenomenon in a partially filled cylindrical tank with or without various baffle arrangements. A series of slosh experiments were conducted on a scaled tank under harmonic acceleration excitations. The model is validated by comparing the slosh responses in terms of forces and moments with the measured data. The validated model is further employed to investigate the effect of combined baffles—proposed in the paper—on liquid sloshing motion. The results imply that conventional baffles could only limit liquid slosh in the longitudinal direction. The addition of combined baffles could suppress liquid slosh in both the longitudinal and lateral directions and the braking performance and roll stability limits of tank vehicles are thus improved. •Combined baffles as a new anti-slosh device is proposed.•The peak values of slosh forces, moments and load shifts obtained under low fill volume are larger than those obtained under high fill volume provided the total liquid weight is kept constant.•The addition of the combined baffles can yield substantial reduction in slosh forces, load shifts and thus the pitch and roll moment.•The addition of combined baffles can reduce liquid impact strength against the tank structures and thus reduce the occurrence of nonlinear phenomenon such as breaking wave and liquid splashing.