Effects of perforated baffles on sloshing damping optimization: a CFD approach

Liquid sloshing inside tanks generates forces and moments which can affect the stability of vehicles. In the aerospace sector, these forces are critical for dimensioning the attitude control system, as they must be counterbalanced to maintain the vehicle’s stability. Sloshing motion can be mitigated using baffles that enhance energy dissipation, but they also add weight to the system. Perforated baffles offer a promising alternative, providing both improved damping and reduced weight. This study investigates the effectiveness of perforated baffles in mitigating sloshing compared to solid baffles through a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Results show that perforated baffles can significantly enhance damping, with the extent of the improvement strongly dependent on the holes distribution on the baffle.