Tank discharge through a pipe and a valve [ 1 ]

A tank of diameter 'D' and a height 'h o ' is filled

with water and will discharge to the atmosphere
through a pipe of lenght 'L', diameter 'd' and
a valve with a discharge coefficient Kv .
Find the elapsed time 't' required for the water
level to reach a height 'h' .
Microsoft Equation
3.0

Note
The distance between the bottom of the tank and the pipe centerline is assumed
to be negligible compared to the total water height . This assumption simplifies
the solution . If this asumption is not acceptable, the pipe pressure and the
integration limits would need to be adjusted .
Microsoft Equation
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Data Solution
Pipe diameter
d= 0.5 m Constant Eq. (e)

√
Pipe length
L= 100 m 2⋅g
C= (e)
Pipe friction factor L
f⋅ + K v
f= 0.015 - d
Singular pressure drop coefficient C= (( 2*g )/(f*L/d+Kv) )^0.5
(sum of all existing fittings) C= 2.09
Kv = 1.5 -
Tank diameter Initial velocity Eq. (f)
D= 25 m
Tank initial water level
v =C⋅√h (f )
ho = 2 m h= ho
Acceleration of gravity v= C * ho^0.5
g= 9.81 m/s² v= 2.95 m/s

Initial flow rate Eq. (g)

π
Q=C⋅ ⋅d 2⋅√ h (g )
4
Q= C*pi()/4*d^2*h^0.5
Q= 0.580 m3/s
 Equations are developed in sheet 'Equations'

Time to empty the tank

( √ ho − √h )
( Dd )
2
t = ⋅ (k )
C/2
h= 0 m

t= ( ho^0.5 - h^0.5) * (2 / C) * (D / d)^2

ho = 2 m
C= 2.09
D= 25 m
d= 0.5 m
t= 3386 s
t= 0.94 h
1 of 2

2 of 2
 Discharge of a tank through a pipe and a valve

Pressure at pipe inlet Kinematic pressure

Pi=h⋅γ ρ
Pk = ⋅v 2 [ Pa ]
2
Pressure at pipe exit Pipe friction loss
Pe =0 L
Pf =f⋅ ⋅Pk
Pipe available pressure d
Pp_av =P i−P e Valve friction loss
Pv =K v⋅P k
Pp_av = h⋅γ−0
Pipe pressure loss
Pp_av = h⋅γ [ Pa ] Ppipe =P f +P v
Pp_av = h⋅ρ⋅g [ Pa ] L
Ppipe =f⋅ ⋅Pk + K v⋅P k
d

( L
)
Microsoft Equation
3.0

Ppipe = f⋅ +K v ⋅P k
Microsoft Equation
3.0 d

Equating the total pipe

pressure loss (L ρ
h⋅ρ⋅g= f⋅ + K v ⋅ ⋅v 2
d 2 )
( L
d )
Ppipe = f⋅ +K v ⋅P k (a)
( L
h⋅g= f⋅ + K v ⋅
v2
)
with the available pressure d 2
Pp_av = h⋅γ=h⋅ρ⋅g (b )
equating (a ) and (b) one has (L
2⋅h⋅g= f⋅ + K v ⋅v 2
d )
( L
)
h⋅ρ⋅g= f⋅ +K v ⋅P k
d
2 2⋅h⋅g
v =
L
f⋅ + K v
and with d
ρ 2
Pk = ⋅v [ Pa ] (c) 2⋅h⋅g
2 v= (d )
 ( L
)
h⋅ρ⋅g= f⋅ +K v ⋅P k
d
v =
2 2⋅h⋅g
L
f⋅ + K v
and with d

√
ρ 2
Pk = ⋅v [ Pa ] (c) 2⋅h⋅g
2 v= (d )
L
( L
d
ρ
)
h⋅ρ⋅g= f⋅ +K v ⋅ ⋅v 2
2
f⋅ +K v
d

Microsoft Equation
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Volume flow rate Volume decreasing

entering the pipe in the tank
Q=v ⋅A ( m3 / s ) dV tank =− A tank⋅dh
π
Q=v ⋅ ⋅d 2 π
4 A tank = ⋅D2
Volume entering in a time dt 4
dV pipe = Q⋅dt π
dV tank =− ⋅D2⋅dh (i)
π
dV pipe_in = v ⋅ ⋅d 2⋅dt 4
4 Microsoft Equation
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and with
v =C⋅√h (f )
π
dV pipe =C⋅√ h⋅ ⋅d 2⋅dt
4
π
dV pipe =C⋅ ⋅d 2⋅√ h⋅dt (g )
4 Microsoft Equation
3.0
Microsoft Equation
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 h: tank water level [ m ]
γ :specific gravity
[ ]
N
m3

ρ :water density
[ ]
kg
m3

g:acceleration of gravity
[]
m
s
2

f : Darcy −Weisbach h
friction factor [ − ]
L:pipe length [ m ]
d: pipe interior diameter [ m ]
D: tank diameter [ m ]
Microsoft Equation
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K v :valve friction factor [ − ]

)
√ √
ρ 2 2⋅h⋅g
v ⋅ ⋅v v= 2⋅h⋅g
2 L v= ( d)
f⋅ + K v L
v2 f⋅ + K v
⋅ d d

√
2 2⋅g
v= ⋅√ h v =C⋅√h (f )
v )⋅v 2 L
f⋅ + K v
d

√
Let 2⋅g
C= (e )

√
L
2⋅g f⋅ + K v
C= (e ) d
L
f⋅ +K v
(d ) d
 √ d

√
Let 2⋅g
C= (e )

√
L
2⋅g f⋅ + K v
C= (e ) d
L
f⋅ +K v
(d ) d Constant C= (( 2*g ) / (f*L/d + Kv ) )^0.

then velocity v= C * h^0.5

v =C⋅√h (f )
Microsoft Equation
3.0
Microsoft Equation
3.0

ng The volume entering into Integrating the differential equation

the pipe must be equal to d2 dh
C⋅ 2 ⋅dt=− 0 .5 ( j)
h the decreasing volume in D h
t 2 h
the tank
π 2
∫ C⋅dD2 ⋅dt=− ∫ h−0 .5⋅dh
dV pipe =C⋅ ⋅d ⋅√ h⋅dt ( g) t=o h=Ho
4 d2 t 1 0. 5 h
dh (i) C⋅ 2 ⋅t|0 = - h |h
π D 0. 5 o

dV tank =− ⋅D2⋅dh (i) 2

4 d
Microsoft Equation
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C ⋅ 2 ¿t = -2⋅( √ h−√ ho )
dV pipe =dV tank D
2
π 2 π 2 d
C ⋅ 2 ¿t = 2⋅( √ ho −√ h )
C⋅ ⋅d ⋅√ h⋅dt=− ⋅D ⋅dh D
4 4
( √ ho − √ h ) D 2
Microsoft Equation
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d2
C⋅ 2 ⋅dt=−
D
dh
√h
( j) t =
C/2
⋅
d( ) ( k)
 1 of 3

2 of 3

⋅g
( d)
Kv

(f )

(e)
Kv
 (e)
Kv

(( 2*g ) / (f*L/d + Kv ) )^0.5

3 of 3

rential equation
( j)

h−0 .5⋅dh
o
0. 5 h
h |h
o

−√ ho )

−√ h )

)
2
( k)
Microsoft Equation
3.0
Thermodynamics
Cengel, Boles, Kanoglu
[1]
[1] Page 218 - 219

The approximation for the average velocity of the jet as

v =√ 2⋅h⋅g
correspond to the equation (d), when the denominator
has the value of 1

√
2⋅h⋅g
v= ( d)
L
f⋅ + K v
d

L
f ⋅ + K v =1
d
There are infinite posibilities to met this condition.
Example:
Kv = 0
f * L /d = 1
f*L=d
L=d/f
For a given diameter and friction factor, the required pope length
is defined
Thermodynamics
Cengel, Boles, Kanoglu
Pages
 Microsoft Equation
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Microsoft Equation
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y of the jet as

denominator
No references available
[1]

Thermodynamics. An engineerin aproach

Cengel, Boles, Kanoglu
Ninth edition, 2019
Pages 218 - 219