Dynamic pressures in sloshing phenomena: a comparison between full scale measurements and numerical calculations

The loads due to internal fluid motions are believed to be cause of severe damages occurring on the walls of tanks on board. Even if a general description of sloshing loads in terms of dynamic and impact pressures on the walls is available, a quantification of such pressures in large scale is still difficult. This paper reports the results of an experimental campaign on board of a ship during a voyage between Italy and South Africa. The results of the surveys performed by means of pressure transducers placed on the tank walls and of strain gauges in a close position are presented together with ship motions surveys obtained by means of a gyro-platform. Additional acceleration transducer are also placed on the weather deck. Such results, together with those available from a previous, analogous, campaign, allow to state actual values of sloshing loads (peak value and duration) for both dynamic and impact pressures and to relate them to ship motions.