Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State

Zhang, Wenzhuo; Zhu, Renqing; Zhang, Xinlong; Qu, Qingyi; Zhao, Hui

doi:10.3390/jmse14050412

Open AccessArticle

Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State

by

Wenzhuo Zhang

,

Renqing Zhu

,

Xinlong Zhang

^*,

Qingyi Qu

and

Hui Zhao

School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(5), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050412

Submission received: 12 January 2026 / Revised: 19 February 2026 / Accepted: 20 February 2026 / Published: 24 February 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Trends in Ship Energy-Saving Devices and Solutions)

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Abstract

To investigate the leakage characteristics of damaged double-hull oil tanks in still water, this study conducted both model tests and numerical simulations on the leakage process of a damaged double-hull oil tank model. Based on a 75,000 DWT oil tanker, a scaled model was designed according to similarity criteria. The effects of different damaged locations (side-shell and bottom) and various breach sizes on the tank’s leakage behavior were examined. The evolution of multiphase flow inside the tank and the surrounding flow field was captured, and the leakage pressure under fixed model conditions was measured. The model test results indicate that larger breach sizes lead to a more rapid stabilization of the pressure load during leakage and the liquid exchange process. For side shell breaches, after an initial phase of pressure-difference-driven leakage, a density-driven flow develops at the stable liquid interface. Bottom breaches cause flooding that results in an oil sealing phenomenon at the bottom, leading to a pronounced oil–water stratification. Corresponding numerical simulations of the model tests were performed, and the results were compared and validated against the model test data.

Keywords: tank sloshing; damaged oil tank; model test; multiphase flow

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, W.; Zhu, R.; Zhang, X.; Qu, Q.; Zhao, H. Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14, 412. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050412

AMA Style

Zhang W, Zhu R, Zhang X, Qu Q, Zhao H. Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2026; 14(5):412. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050412

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Wenzhuo, Renqing Zhu, Xinlong Zhang, Qingyi Qu, and Hui Zhao. 2026. "Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State" Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 14, no. 5: 412. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050412

APA Style

Zhang, W., Zhu, R., Zhang, X., Qu, Q., & Zhao, H. (2026). Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 14(5), 412. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050412

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Experiment Tests and Numerical Simulations of Leakage from Double-Hull Oil Tanks in a Fixed State

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