Study of geometrical effects on slosh induced damping

The effort to reduce the costs and environmental impact of modern commercial aircraft requires an ever-better understanding of aircraft physics, including the characterization of the effective damping introduced on a structure by slosh dynamics. Recent studies have been aimed at identifying reduced-order models for scaled sloshing that require simplifying assumptions and scaling processes. These models need further experimental verification to be integrated within full-scale structural and aeroelastic frameworks. In this framework, the purpose of this paper is to experimentally investigate the combined effects of rotation and vertical tank motion on the dissipative behaviour of sloshing. Specifically, a controlled electrodynamic shaker is used to provide vertical displacement to a rigid hinged beam on which is mounted a box-shaped tank partially filled with water. The experimental setup allows the tank to be positioned at various points on the beam so that the energy dissipated by the sloshing fluid can be evaluated under different scenarios of combined tank motion. I. Introduct