Horizontal Ground Random Excitation of Structures Carrying a Rigid Container Partially Filled With Liquid

Nonlinear random interaction of an elastic structure carrying a container, partially filled with liquid, under horizontal narrowband random excitation is investigated. The modal equations of motion are derived by using Galerkin’s method, taking into account the nonlinearity of the hydrodynamic force when the natural frequency of the structure is close to the natural frequency of liquid sloshing. The system response statistics are numerically estimated using Monte Carlo simulation. The influences of the excitation center frequency, its bandwidth and liquid level on the system response are studied. As a result, it is found that the mean square response of the structure decreases as the center frequency approaches to the natural frequency of the structure, and that the sloshing in the container has an effect on the vibration suppression of the structure response.