The paper proposes a methodology to perform sloshing analyses through
multidimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), with particular focus on a
lubricant tank of a high-performance sports car. Lubricant tanks are usually fed
by a mixture of oil and air, which makes Volume of Fluid (VoF) models unsuitable
for this kind of simulation. Hence, a different approach based on a Eulerian
MultiPhase (EMP) model is investigated and adopted. In contrast to the VoF
approach, which is the most consolidated technique to handle the numerical
analysis of sloshing problems, the EMP accounts for interactions between liquid
and gaseous phases, such as mixing and separation. It also reduces numerical
constraints on time-step and mesh size. EMP is therefore applied to the analysis
of a sports car lubricant tank where mist and foam formation and subsequent
phase separation are of primary importance. Comparison between the EMP and VoF
approach is performed on cases of increasing complexity. Firstly, a rectangular
tank with internal baffles and under pitch oscillations, for which experimental
measurements are available, is analyzed. The EMP approach shows improved
responsiveness in representing both phase mixing and separation. Secondly, a
current production lubricant oil tank, for which experimental test-rig
measurements of foam percentage shortly upstream the feeding pump are available,
confirms the ability of the EMP approach to quantitatively estimate foam
formation. Thirdly, the analysis of a current production lubricant oil tank
subject to typical racetrack maneuvers is performed. Such final step confirms
the ability of the EMP approach to simulate complex interactions between the
phases, which largely affect tank and lubricating circuit performance in
high-performance sports car applications. Moreover, the EMP approach allows a
massive reduction of computational time compared to VoF.
