COLEGIO SAN AGUSTIN-BACOLOD

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CHE 403E: MOMENTUM TRANSFER

“Tank Draining”

Da-anton, Irish Marie

Paduano, Angelo

Gallos, Maria Ines

Submitted to

Dr. Luis S. Jimenez

August 4, 2018
Introduction

Tanks and vessels are used extensively in the process industry for both batch and

continuous processes. At the start-up or shut down of any process, tanks must be filled or

emptied. Batch processes require that every tank be filled and drained for each batch of

chemicals produced. Batch processes are used for mixing, reaction, and separation of liquid and

solid mixtures. Tanks are also employed to store chemicals prior to adding them to various stages

in a production operation as well as to store the finished product before packaging. Many

industries use batch processes such as the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries.

The experiment itself consists of draining a tank under the influence of gravity. We

observe the draining pattern itself, that is, how the volume of liquid in the tank changes with time

as well as the exit jet water trajectory during the draining process.

This exercise is an investigation of transient fluid behavior and a study in the

applicability of the Bernoulli equation.

Theory

The Bernoulli equation is

where p is the static pressure, γ is the specific weight of the flowing fluid, V is the

velocity magnitude, and z is the elevation above a fixed datum. The Bernoulli equation

applies only along a streamline and only if the following conditions are met;

1. The flow is steady.

2. The flow is incompressible.

3. There is no heat or work interactions.

The steady flow energy equation is

where hp is the head increase due to shaft work by a pump and hf is the head loss. The steady

flow energy equation is more generally applicable than the Bernoulli Equation. The energy

equation applies to steady, incompressible flow in a conduit with a single inlet and a single

outlet.
 Bernoulli's principle can be derived from the principle of conservation of energy. This

states that, in a steady flow, the sum of all forms of energy in a fluid along a streamline is the

same at all points on that streamline. This requires that the sum of kinetic energy, potential

energy and internal energy remains constant. Thus an increase in the speed of the fluid –

implying an increase in both its dynamic pressure and kinetic energy – occurs with a

simultaneous decrease in (the sum of) its static pressure, potential energy and internal energy. If

the fluid is flowing out of a reservoir, the sum of all forms of energy is the same on all

streamlines because in a reservoir the energy per unit volume (the sum of pressure and

gravitational potential ρ g h) is the same everywhere. Bernoulli's principle, sometimes known as

Bernoulli's equation, holds that for fluids in an ideal state, pressure and density are inversely

related: in other words, a slow-moving fluid exerts more pressure than a fast-moving fluid. Since

"fluid" in this context applies equally to liquids and gases, the principle has as many applications

with regard to airflow as to the flow of liquids.

Mass Conservation

The following diagram represents a cylidrical tank with a hole in its side. A jet of water with

velocity Vj issues from the hole. The left diagram shows the tank at time (t). The right diagram

shows the tank at a later time t + ∆t. The depth of the water is h(t). The cross-sectional area of

the tank is At,and the cross-sectional area of the jet is Aj .

Experimental Materials and Procedure

Materials:

 Container

 Measuring Tape

 Video Recorder

Procedure:

1. Put graduations on one side of the container to indicate the height of the water.

2. Fill the container with water.

3. Put the container on any stable structure of own preference to elevate it.

4. Place the measuring tape on your reference point just perpendicular to your vertical

graduation.

5. Open the bottom hole of the container and record both the vertical height drop and the

decrease in horizontal distance covered by the water with respect to time.

Figure depicts the trajectory of the jet of water emanating from the hole in the side of the tank.
Results

Table 1

Data of height and time

Height (cm)
Time (seconds)
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

0 30 30 30 30

10 25.4 25.2 25.4 25.33

20 21 21 21.1 21.03

30 17.2 17 17.1 17.1

40 14 13.9 13.9 13.93

50 10.8 10.5 10.8 10.7

60 8 7.9 8 7.97

70 5.5 5.3 5.2 5.33

80 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.73

90 2.1 2 2 2.03

100 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.23

110 1 0.8 0.9 0.9

 Table 2

Data of horizontal distance and time

Horizontal distance (cm)

Time (seconds)
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

0 50 51 51 50.67

10 46 46.5 46 46.17

20 42 42 42 42

30 37 38 37 37.33

40 33 33 33 33

50 28.5 29 28.5 28.67

60 24 25 24 24.33

70 19 19 19 19

80 14 14 14.5 14.17

90 8.5 8 8 8.16

100 0 0.5 0 0.17

110 0 0 0 0
 Table 3

Summary of average height and horizontal distance for given time

Time (s) Ave. Height (cm) Ave. Horizontal distance (cm)

0 30 50.67

10 25.33 46.17

20 21.03 42

30 17.1 37.33

40 13.93 33

50 10.7 28.67

60 7.97 24.33

70 5.33 19

80 3.73 14.17

90 2.03 8.16

100 1.23 0.17

110 0.9 0
 35

30

25
Ave. Water Height (cm)

20

15

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Time (sec)

h – t diagram for tank draining

60

50
Ave. Horizontal distance (cm)

40

30

20

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
-10
Time (sec)

L – t diagram for tank draining

 60

50
Ave. Horizontal distance (cm)

40

30

20

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
-10
Average water height (cm)

Lh––hLdiagram
diagramfor
fortank
tankdraining
draining

Discussion

Results show that the average height with respect to time has decreasing intervals

between each time period as the height of water approaches zero. Therefore, it shows that the

draining slows as the height of the water approaches zero. As with the time and length

relationship, the length decreases per time period until it reaches zero or a vertical flow even if

the tank is not fully drained. For the height and length relationship, the higher the height the

water level is, the longer will be the horizontal length. As the water level slowly drains and

approaches zero, the length also decreases to zero thus approaching a vertical flow.
References

LSJ Tank Draining Exercise PDF

http://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/physics/physics/bernoullis-principle

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/bernouilli-equation-d_183.html

http://eet.cecs.pdx.edu/expt/tankdrain/pdf/tankDrainingLabExercise_Fall09.pdf