Experimental study on sloshing in a tank with an inner horizontal perforated plate

• We designed a new tank system with a horizontal perforated plate.
• The plate is significant for restraining the first-order resonant sloshing.
• The plate does not change the frequency of the tank system.
• A plate with small porosity and submerged depth is better.
• Submerged depth is primary factor for restricting third-order resonant sloshing.

Sloshing in a liquid tank may result in ship instability or structural damage. Inner structures are often used to restrain liquid sloshing and prevent tank damage. To increase energy dissipation and reduce the forces acting on structures, a horizontal perforated plate was designed and incorporated into a rectangular liquid tank in this study. Experimental studies were conducted, and a tank with an inner submerged horizontal perforated plate was excited under different amplitudes and frequencies. The free surface elevations on the side-walls and the resonant frequencies were carefully examined. The experimental results indicate that the horizontal perforated plate can significantly restrain violent resonant sloshing in the tank under horizontal excitation.