Free-vibration analysis of liquid-filled tank with baffles

The natural frequencies of liquid in a liquid-filled cylindrical rigid tank without and with baffles are evaluated. An annular plate is used as a baffle, which is fitted to the inner periphery of a cylindrical tank. Both rigid and flexible baffles are considered. Finite elements are used to discretize both the liquid and the structural domain. The slosh frequencies of liquid are computed for different dimensions, thicknesses and positions of baffles, both rigid and flexible considering the circumferential wave number as one. The axisymmetric and other asymmetric modes are not studied. The results obtained for rigid baffle case are comparable with the existing results. The coupled vibration frequencies of the tank-flexible-baffle system are computed considering the effect of sloshing of liquid. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.