Influence of the shape of the tank head of the oil storage unit on the impact of sloshing

During fuel transport, oil sloshing due to sudden braking in emergency situations can result in cracking in the fuel tank. The head of the fuel tank is the most impacted during sloshing and plays a greater role in bearing the sudden force that arises in such a situation. The shape of the head and the oil filling rate significantly influence the strength and occurrence time of the maximum impact force, fluid state in the tank, and pressure distribution during sloshing. Therefore, minimizing the impact of sloshing is important for the sustainable transport of fuel. In this study, we conducted a sloshing simulation using the FLUENT model for the two tank structures (i.e., longitudinal and transverse) with four different head shapes (flat bottom, elliptical dome, butterfly 1, and butterfly 2) to determine the effect of oil sloshing during braking on the pressure-bearing capacity and structural reliability of the tank structure. Based on those results, we determined the optimal head styles for longitudinal and transverse tank structures, providing a basis for the stability calculation of an oil storage unit.