Fluid Slosh Behavior for Crashworthiness – A Modeling Approach Validated with Experimental Data

FMVSS301 mandates fuel system integrity for vehicles post-crash, so a detailed assessment of the fuel system is needed to validate its integrity. Modeling the fuel tank assembly for vehicle crashworthiness is very challenging due to the fuel slosh phenomenon which occurs in the dynamic crash event. The fuel slosh behavior affects the overall dynamics of the fuel tank and its interaction with surrounding vehicle structures. Extensive studies can be found in the literature to improve fuel tank modeling. However, there is limited information related to modeling fluid’s free surface and the pressure profile imparted by the fluid on the tank during the crash event.