HYDROELASTIC IMPACTS IN THE TANKS OF LNG CARRIERS

The paper deals with the methods for evaluation of the hydro-elastic interactions which appear dur-ing the violent sloshing motions inside the LNG tanks. The complexity of both fluid flow and the structural behavior (containment system + ship structure) do not allow for fully consistent direct ap-proach according to the present state of the art. Several simplifications are thus necessary in order to isolate the most dominant aspects and treat them properly. Here, we discuss the recent developments conducted in the Research Department of Bureau Veritas in cooperation with Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics and Ecole Generaliste des Ingenieurs de Marseille. These developments are mainly based on the asymptotic approaches for fluid flow (Wagner, Bagnold, Korobkin,...), which are coupled with the commercial finite element codes for the structural response