Equivalent Mechanical Models for Sloshing

TL;DR

This paper develops a rigorous mathematical framework for modeling propellant sloshing in spacecraft using equivalent mechanical models, including pendulums and mass-spring-damper systems, validated through simulations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed derivation of nonlinear and linearized equations for multi-pendulum models, establishing their equivalence with traditional mass-spring-damper models for spacecraft sloshing.

Findings

Derivation of nonlinear equations for multi-pendulum systems

Explicit linearized equations considering high-g forces

Validation of models through simulation and frequency analysis

Abstract

Propellant sloshing is a well-known, but not completely mastered phenomenon in space vehicles. It is particularly critical in both microgravity environments - such as interplanetary spacecraft requiring high pointing stability - and high-g conditions, as encountered during launch, re-entry, and landing. In both cases, sloshing can significantly affect vehicle performance and stability, and must often be explicitly considered in the design of the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) subsystem. For stability analysis and control design, the most common approach to modeling sloshing is through an equivalent mechanical representation, where the moving propellant is treated as a mechanical system interacting with the rigid (or flexible) spacecraft. Pendulum-based models and mass-spring-damper systems are widely used by control analysts to assess sloshing-induced perturbations on vehicles subjected to persistent non-gravitational acceleration along one of their body axes. In this work, we present a rigorous mathematical formulation of pendulum dynamics, starting from a single spherical pendulum attached to a rigid spacecraft. We derive the nonlinear equations of motion for this 8-degree-of-freedom multi-body system, and then extend the formulation to include multiple pendulums, representing multiple sloshing modes within a tank and/or multiple tanks on the same vehicle. Furthermore, we derive the corresponding linearized equations of motion, explicitly accounting for a nominal longitudinal force acting on the vehicle - consistent with the high-g sloshing regime - expressed in either the inertial or body frame. Finally, we demonstrate the mathematical equivalence between the pendulum and mass-spring-damper models and validate the proposed models through time-domain simulation and frequency-domain analysis.