Methods to calculate the volume of tanks and the volume of a liquid inside a tank.

These calculations will give you cubic measures such as ft 3 or m3 depending on your units of measure.

Horizontal Cylinder Tank

Total volume of a cylinder shaped tank is the area, A, of the circular end times the length, l. A = is equal to 1/2 the diameter or d/2. Therefore: V(tank) = r2l

r2 where r is the radius which

The filled volume of a horizontal cylinder tank is calculated by first finding the area, A, of a circular segment and multiplying it by the length, l.

Area of the circular segment, the grey shaded area, is A = (1/2)r 2( - sin) where = 2*arccos(m/r). Therefore, V(segment) = (1/2)r2( - sin)l. If the fill height f is less than 1/2 of d then we use the segment created from the filled height and V(fill) = V(segment). However, if the fill height f is greater than 1/2 of d then we use the segment that is created by the empty portion of the tank and subtract it from the total volume to get the filled volume; V(fill) = V(tank) - V(segment).

Vertical Cylinder Tank

Total volume of a cylinder shaped tank is the area, A, of the circular end times the height, h. A = is equal to d/2. Therefore: V(tank) = r2h

r2 where r is the radius which

The filled volume of a vertical cylinder tank is just a shorter cylinder with the same radius, r, and diameter, d, but height is now the fill height or f. Therefore: V(fill) = r2f

Rectangle Tank
Total volume of a rectangular prism shaped tank is length times width times height. Therefore, V(tank) = lwh The filled volume of a rectangular tank is just a shorter height with the same length and width. The new height is the fill height or f. Therefore: V(fill) = lwf

Horizontal Oval Tank

Volume of an oval tank is calculated by finding the area, A, of the end, which is the shape of a stadium, and multiplying it by the length, l. A = r2 + 2ra and it can be proven that r = h/2 and a = w - h where w>h must always be true. Therefore: V(tank) = (r2 + 2ra)l Volume of fill of a horizontal oval tank is best calculated if we assume it is 2 halves of a cylinder separated by a rectangular tank. We then calculate fill volume of 1) a Horizontal Cylinder Tank where l = l, f = f, and diameter d = h, and 2) a Rectangle Tank where l = l, f = f, and rectangle width w is a = w - h of the oval tank. V(fill) = V(fill-horizontal-cylinder) + V(fill-rectangle)

Vertical Oval Tank

Volume of an oval tank is calculated by finding the area, A, of the end, which is the shape of a stadium, and multiplying it by the length, l. A = r2 + 2ra and it can be proven that r = w/2 and a = h - w where h>w must always be true. Therefore: V(tank) = (r2 + 2ra)h Volume of fill of a vertical oval tank is best calculated if we assume it is 2 halves of a cylinder separated by a rectangular tank. With r = w/2 = hieght of the semicircle ends, we can define 3 general fill position areas.

Fill, f < r We calculate fill volume using the circular segment method, as in a Horizontal Cylinder Tank, for the filled portion. Fill, f > r and f < (r+a) The filled volume is exactly 1/2 of the cylinder portion plus the volume of fill inside the rectangular portion. Fill, f > (r+a) and f < h We calculate fill volume using the circular segment method, as in a Horizontal Cylinder Tank, for the empty portion. Volume will be V(tank) - V(segment).

Horizontal Capsule Tank

We treat a capsule as a sphere of diameter d split in half and separated by a cylinder of diameter d and height a. Where r = d/2. V(sphere) = (4/3)r3, and V(cylinder) = r2a, therefore V(capsule) = r2((4/3)r + a)

Volume of fill for a horizontal capsule is done by using the circular segment method for the Horizontal Cylinder and, with a similar approach, using calculations of a spherical cap for the sphere section of the tank where, V(spherical cap) = (1/3)h2(3R - h)

Vertical Capsule Tank

We treat a capsule as a sphere of diameter d split in half and separated by a cylinder of diameter d and height a. Where r = d/2. V(capsule) = r2((4/3)r + a) Volume of fill for a vertical capsule is calculated in a fashion similar to the method used for the Vertical Oval Tank where r = d/2 = height of each hemisphere end.

Fill, f < r We calculate fill volume using the spherical cap method, for the filled portion. Fill, f > r and f < (r+a) The filled volume is exactly 1/2 of the sphere portion plus the volume of fill inside the vertical cylinder portion. Fill, f > (r+a) and f < h We calculate fill volume using the spherical cap method for the empty portion. Volume will be V(tank) - V(spherical cap).