Influence of baffle on fuel sloshing of partially filled fuel tanker semi-trailer: Application for enhancing rollover stability

Liquid sloshing inside partially filled tanks shifts the fluid center, affecting the rollover stability of fuel tankers during cornering. This study investigates how gasoline filling level, turning radius, and vehicle speed affect rollover stability of a tanker semi-trailer under steady-state turning. Numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics and the volume of fluid method are conducted to compare two tanker configurations: a non-compartmentalized tank and one equipped with internal rigid baffles. Results demonstrate that the baffles significantly dampen liquid motion; the longitudinal translation of the fluid center in the compartmentalized tank is reduced by ten times compared to the non-compartmentalized design. Furthermore, the compartmentalized design exhibits superior damping, reaching a steady state of rollover moment significantly faster than the smooth tank, thereby preventing prolonged oscillations that threaten vehicle stability. The baffles increase the rollover lateral acceleration threshold by 31.1% at 50% filling level. The compartmentalized tank maintains rollover stability at higher filling ratios, with acceleration thresholds of 0.223g and 0.236g at 70% and 90% filling levels, respectively, and allows for stable cornering at velocities up to 4.5 m/s. These findings confirm that rigid baffles effectively enhance rollover safety, providing a quantitative basis for evaluating the stability limits of liquid-carrying vehicles.