Vehicular Liquid Container Design Using Sloshing Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current certification processes for liquid containers onboard vehicles lack sufficient feedback on physical conditions and risks due to absence of genuine vehicle dynamics and qualitative analysis results, leading to inadequate design optimization and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing computational models and recorded flight data to simulate liquid sloshing in fuel tanks, incorporating real flight maneuver dynamics, which generates high-fidelity predictions of stress and fatigue-risk locations within the tanks, thereby refining the design and reducing experimentation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current certification processes are used, then design certification can be completed, but the analysis results are qualitative rather than quantitative and lack sufficient feedback on physical conditions and risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical experimentation with computational simulation. A computational model replicates the liquid container system, vehicle dynamics, and sloshing behavior to generate quantitative stress and fatigue predictions. This substitution enables precise measurement of physical conditions and risks without relying on qualitative experimental observations, directly resolving the contradiction between certification completion and information feedback quality.
2Reliability
If experimentation tools are used to predict slosh risks, then design optimization can be performed, but the costs and labor required for certification increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computational analysis to predict sloshing stresses and identify potential failure modes before physical certification. The computational model evaluates multiple design iterations rapidly, allowing designers to optimize the liquid container design in advance. This preliminary action reduces the need for extensive physical testing, thereby maintaining high reliability while improving certification efficiency and reducing costs.
3Measurement precision
If current qualitative analysis processes are used, then certification can be obtained, but the feedback is course and time-averaged rather than fine and temporal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces simple qualitative analysis tools with a sophisticated computational simulation system. The simulation model incorporates detailed vehicle dynamics, fluid sloshing physics, and structural response calculations to generate fine temporal resolution data. Although the simulation system is complex, it provides precise temporal and spatial information about stress and fatigue risks, enabling designers to understand peak conditions and time-varying behavior that coarse qualitative methods miss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate, quantified predictions of stress and fatigue-risk locations, improving design certification detail and reducing testing costs by integrating sub-processes and using real flight dynamics to account for extreme maneuvers.
Implementation Method 1
perform a simulation of liquid sloshing in the liquid container onboard the vehicle subject to the dynamics and operational parameters
Data Source
AI summary
A method for certifying a design of a liquid container onboard a vehicle for manufacture of the liquid container is provided. The method includes generating a computer geometric model of the liquid container according to the design, and executable code to reproduce dynamics and operational parameters of the vehicle, with the dynamics of the vehicle including dynamics during a vehicle maneuver that is selectable from a database of vehicle dynamics for a plurality of vehicle maneuvers. The method includes executing a simulating application to perform a simulation of liquid sloshing in the liquid container onboard the vehicle is performed subject to the dynamics and operational parameters, and iterate the simulation to refine a prediction of loads and stresses on the liquid container from the simulation produced thereby. Locations within the liquid container more vulnerable to fatigue-risk are identified based on the prediction, and output for certification of the design.