Developing New Numerical Modeling for Sloshing Behavior in Two-Dimensional Tanks Based on Nonlinear Finite-Element Method

In this paper, the nonlinear sloshing behavior of a liquid in a partially filled tank is studied using the finite-element method (FEM) based on new spherical Hankel shape functions. The liquid free surface is one of the important parameters in the modeling of the sloshing problems. The main aim of this study is the determination of the free surface location using a new finite-element technique. In this new method, the finite-element method with new shape functions is developed and reformulated. These shape functions are derived using the first and second kind of Bessel functions and have properties such as piecewise continuity. Using these new functions, the number of elements can be reduced, while the accuracy of the results can be increased. The application and accuracy of the proposed method are investigated by several problems related to the sloshing behavior of the liquid. The obtained results indicate that the new method is capable of computing the free surface elevation with a lower number of elements with good accuracy. (C) 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.