Performance Analysis of U-Tube Tank for Roll Stabilization

The passive U-tube tank stabilization remains an effective way of damping the roll motion of Offshore Supply Vessels in stationary condition when they are in the support mission mode. This paper describes the performance of a U-Tube passive tank stabilizer system deployed in an Offshore Supply Vessel. A properly tuned system can result in appreciable roll reduction. Analytical and experimental results are presented and discussed. The suppression of roll motion in the resonance period demonstrates that the system can be effectively designed for a particular vessel with knowledge of specific ship based data such as location of tank, effect of the mass of fluid in tank, and the natural roll period of the tank. The salient conclusions are brought out.