In a number of applications, the hydrodynamic effect of a fluid must be included in the structural evaluation of liquid-filled vessels undergoing transient loading. Prime examples are liquid radioactive waste transportation packages. These packages must demonstrate the ability to withstand severe accidental impact scenarios. A hydrodynamic model of the fluid is developed using a finite element discretization of the momentum equations for a three-dimensional continuum. An inviscid fluid model with an isotropic stress state is considered. A barotropic equation of state, relating volumetric strain to pressure, is used to characterize the fluid behavior. The formulation considers the continuum as a compressible medium only, so that no tension fields are permitted. The numerical technique is incorporated into the existing general-purpose three-dimensional structural computer code H3DMAP. Part 1 of the paper describes the theory and implementation along with comparisons with classical theory. Part 2 describes the experimental validation of the theoretical approach. Excellent correlation between predicted and experimental results is obtained.

In a number of applications, the hydrodynamic effect of a fluid must be included in the structural evaluation of liquid-filled vessels undergoing transient loading. Prime examples are liquid radioactive waste transportation packages. These packages must demonstrate the ability to withstand severe accidental impact scenarios. A hydrodynamic model of the fluid is developed using a finite element discretization of the momentum equations for a three-dimensional continuum. An inviscid fluid model with an isotropic stress state is considered. A barotropic equation of state, relating volumetric strain to pressure, is used to characterize the fluid behavior. The formulation considers the continuum as a compressible medium only, so that no tension fields are permitted. The numerical technique is incorporated into the existing general-purpose three-dimensional structural computer code H3DMAP. Part 1 of the paper describes the theory and implementation along with comparisons with classical theory. Part 2 describes the experimental validation of the theoretical approach. Excellent correlation between predicted and experimental results is obtained.