Anti-slosh Effectiveness of Baffles and Braking Performance of a Partly-Filled Tank Truck

The liquid cargo movement within a partly-filled tank truck affects its braking, roll dynamics and directional performance in an adverse manner. In this study, the braking performance of a partly-filled tank truck equipped with different baffles designs is investigated considering dynamic fluid-structure interactions. The validity of the computational fluid dynamic model is examined through laboratory tests conducted on a scale model tank with and without baffles. The measured responses to harmonic excitations revealed three-dimensional nature of the fluid motion and couplings between the lateral and longitudinal fluid slosh. Several spectral components were observed for the transient slosh forces, which could be associated with the excitation, resonance, and beat frequencies. A dynamic pitch plane model of a Tridem truck incorporating three-dimensional fluid slosh dynamics is subsequently developed to analyze the fluid-vehicle interactions under straight-line braking maneuvers. The results show that the vehicle responses are highly influenced by the slosh-induced force and moment.