Numerical Investigation on the Bulkhead Structure Due to Sloshing Loads

The present study focuses on the bulkhead strength due to sloshing loads in the cargo oil tank of tanker ships. Sloshing simulation is examined according to the ship's motion during its operation period at sea. Ship motion of surge and pitch were considered in the longitudinal sloshing issue in a certain range of rotation. The maximum pressure on a cargo oil tank's bulkhead is obtained using computational fluid dynamics simulation. Various cases of the filling level or liquid heights are employed to investigate the bulkhead strength due to the pressure of the sloshing effects. Several cases of the filling level including 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% are considered. The simulation results show that the maximum pressure on the bulkhead due to the sloshing load is obtained at the filling level of 50% of the tank height. Furthermore, the maximum stress and deformation are calculated by using numerical analysis for all various filling levels. It is found that the maximum stress and deformation occur on the bulkhead subjected to maximum pressure. The maximum stress increased by 33.8% and 18.7% for the filling level 10% and 30% against 50% of tank height, respectively. On the other hand, the maximum stress decreased by 25.6% and 38.8% for the filling level 70% and 90% against 50% of tank height, respectively. In addition, the maximum deformation shows a similar trend to the maximum stress for all various filling levels.