Abstract: The sand-mixing tank serves as the core equipment in fracturing operations, with its mixing efficiency determining the performance of fracturing fluids and thereby influencing the entire fracturing process. To address the unclear impact of ocean sloshing loads on the mixing process within the sand-mixing tank of fracturing ship, a solid-liquid two-phase mixing model for the fracturing ship's sand-mixing tank considering rolling excitation was established based on the CFD method, investigating the effects of different rolling amplitudes and periods on its mixing characteristics. The results reveal that rolling excitation primarily affects the velocity and distribution of the particle phase while having minimal impact on the overall flow field of the mixed phase in the tank, with the particle phase exhibiting a movement trend consistent with the rolling direction. The distribution of the particle phase is influenced by the tank's position: in the left-leaning state, the volume fraction of the particle phase on the left side is significantly higher than that without shaking, while the right side shows a significant decrease, and the opposite occurs in the right-leaning state. Roll excitation can accelerate the mixing process. As the roll amplitude increases or the period decreases, the difference in the volume fraction of the particle phase between the left and right sides of the tank increases, and the tendency of the particle phase to settle becomes more obvious. Consequently, the average density of the mixed phase at the outlet also increases, while the density uniformity index at the outlet shows a decreasing trend. The uniformity index is lower than that under the non-sloshing condition when $T$=8 s and $A$>6°, or when $A$=6° and $T$<8 s. The research results can lay a theoretical foundation for exploring the influence of sloshing loads on mixing tanks.

Key words: fracturing vessels, sand-mixing tank, CFD method, roll excitation, mixing characteristics