Numerical Simulation of Hit Noise Generation Due to Sloshing Phenomenon in a Rectangular Tank Under Periodic Excitation

Sloshing in fuel tanks is one of the major sources of noise in hybrid and high-end vehicles. During sloshing, the fluid causes impacts on tank walls resulting in their vibration, which further leads to noise, referred to as “hit noise.” Therefore, hit noise generation is a multi-physics phenomenon involving fluid flow, structural response, and acoustic radiation. This paper presents a multi-physics approach to predict hit noise in a rectangular tank. The methodology involves the prediction of fluid loading on tank walls and their structural response using transient fluid and structural analyses which are weakly coupled. Radiated hit noise is predicted using acoustic finite element analysis. Longitudinal periodic excitation is applied to the fluid domain at different frequencies to simulate the sloshing regime which has dominant fluid–structure interactions. Parameters like tank wall pressures, the resulting dynamic acceleration, and radiated sound pressure levels are monitored and validated with the experimental results available in the literature.