Volume of Liquid in Horizontal Tank as Function of Liquid Height

A cylindrical sealed tank is mounted horizontally. The tank is partially filled

with a liquid to a height h. A sight glass is located on the tank so one can observe the height
of liquid in the tank. The tank is L=10 meters long and its diameter may be
either 1, 2, 3 or 4 meters. Develop a spreadsheet model that will
indicate how the volume (V Cubic Meters) of liquid in the tank will vary with the height (h) of liquid in the sight glass
Tabulate Tank Volume vs h/D (0<=h/D<=1.0)
Also plot Tank Volume vs h/D.for the four case
What is

System
Sight
Glass

h
L
What is Concept?
Use solid geometry concepts to find volume of liquid
Can look up models in literature or Internet or develop from application of Calculus concepts
What is
If height of liquid = h

( [

Area= R2

Mathematical Model

h
h
h
( 1 ) 1( 1 )2sin1 ( 1 )
2
R
R
R

])

Area=Cross Sectional Area (viewed from tank end) of tank filled by liquid
R=Tank Radius; Liquid Volume = L*Area
D=2*R=Inside Diameter of Tank
Total Volume Inside Tank=
R 2 L

R(Meters)
0.5

sin (1h/ R )

h/D
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6

1.571
0.927
0.644
0.412
0.201
0.000
-0.201

M2
Area
0.000
0.041
0.112
0.198
0.293
0.393
0.492

M3
Volume
0.000
0.409
1.118
1.982
2.934
3.927
4.920

Tank Liquid Volume Cubic Meters

What is
Computational Analysis Method?
Develop & use the spreadsheet below & apply it to four cases (different Radii).
L(Meters)
10
Total Inside Tank Volume
M3
Volume Liquid in Horizontal Tank vs
7.854E+00
9.000
8.000
7.000
6.000
5.000
4.000
3.000
2.000
1.000
0.000
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

-0.412
-0.644
-0.927
-1.571

0.587
0.674
0.745
0.785

5.872
6.736
7.445
7.854

Tank Liquid Volume C

0.7
0.8
0.9
1

5.000
4.000
3.000
2.000
1.000
0.000
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

h/D

L(Meters)
10
Total Inside Tank Volume
M3
3.142E+01

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

R(Meters)
1.5

1.571
0.927
0.644
0.412
0.201
0.000
-0.201
-0.412
-0.644
-0.927
-1.571

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6

30.000
25.000
20.000
15.000
10.000
5.000
0.000
0

1.571
0.927
0.644
0.412
0.201
0.000
-0.201

M2
Area
0.000
0.368
1.006
1.784
2.640
3.534
4.428

M3
Volume
0.000
3.679
10.064
17.835
26.403
35.343
44.283

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

h/D(Dimensionless)

L(Meters)
10
Total Inside Tank Volume
M3
7.069E+01

sin1(1h/ R )

h/D

M3
Volume
0.000
1.635
4.473
7.927
11.735
15.708
19.681
23.489
26.943
29.781
31.416

35.000
Liquid Volume (Cubic Meters)

sin1(1h/ R )

h/D

M2
Area
0.000
0.164
0.447
0.793
1.173
1.571
1.968
2.349
2.694
2.978
3.142

Volume Liquid in Horizontal Ta

R= 1 Meter

Volume LIquid in Horizontal Ta

R=1.5 Meters
80.000
Liquid in Tank (Cubic Meters)

R(Meters)
1

70.000
60.000
50.000
40.000
30.000
20.000
10.000
0.000
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

h/D(Dimensionless)

0.8

-0.412
-0.644
-0.927
-1.571

5.285
6.062
6.701
7.069

52.851
60.622
67.007
70.686

Liquid in Tank (Cubic

0.7
0.8
0.9
1

50.000
40.000
30.000
20.000
10.000
0.000
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

h/D(Dimensionless)

L(Meters)
10
Total Inside Tank Volume
M3
1.257E+02
1

sin (1h/ R )

h/D
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1

1.571
0.927
0.644
0.412
0.201
0.000
-0.201
-0.412
-0.644
-0.927
-1.571

M2
Area
0.000
0.654
1.789
3.171
4.694
6.283
7.872
9.396
10.777
11.912
12.566

M3
Volume
0.000
6.540
17.892
31.707
46.939
62.832
78.725
93.957
107.772
119.124
125.664

Volume of Liquid in Horizonta

R=2 Meters
140.000
Liquid Volume (Cubic Meters)

R(Meters)
2

120.000
100.000
80.000
60.000
40.000
20.000
0.000
0

0.4

0.6

h/D(Dimensionless)

Is Answer Reasonable?
Answers appear to be reasonable because for case h/D =1.0

Volume =L*Pi*R^2
Also for h/D=0.5 tank is half full

Grading Rubric
Did they apply the method
Did they do calculations correctly
Did they plot the results

0.2

40%
40%
20%

0.

rve the height

height (h) of liquid in the sight glass.

nk Volume vs h/D.for the four cases

Area

tion of Calculus concepts

Assumptions
1.Tank is shaped as a perfect cylinder
2.Ends of tank are flat plates
3.R=Inside Radius of Tank
4.L=Inside length of tank

Place Plot of
Volume vs h/D here

to four cases (different Radii).

Liquid in Horizontal Tank vs h/D R=0.5 Meters

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

h/D

olume Liquid in Horizontal Tank vs h/D

R= 1 Meter

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

h/D(Dimensionless)

lume LIquid in Horizontal Tank vs h/D

R=1.5 Meters

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

h/D(Dimensionless)

0.8

1.2

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

h/D(Dimensionless)

olume of Liquid in Horizontal Tank vs h/D

R=2 Meters

Volume

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

h/D(Dimensionless)

Volume =L*Pi*R^2
Agrees with result of application of Model
Also for h/D=0.5 tank is half full