Calculating Energy Needed to Fill Basins with Water

[Yoann]

I'm currently working on a project, but I'm no engineer or physicist, so I'm limited in my calculations. It would be great if you guys could help me out!

I joined an image to this post to help understand. There are two basins, height = 16 meters, length = 4 meters and width = 3 meters. They are next to each other, and both half-full with water. If there is a kind of motor or machine connecting both basins and located in the bottom that can transfer the water from one basin to the other, how much energy/electricity would the motor/machine use in order to fill one of the basins to the top with the water from the other basin? (so basically fill the top half)

If there's any kind of formula that could help me calculate this, that would help me big time.

Thanks!

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3350/photo6dw.jpg

 

[DaveC426913]

It would take the same energy as required to lift 96 tonnes of water (8x4x3) vertically by a height of 8m.

 

[Philip Wood]

The minimum energy you need (that is assuming no frictional losses in pipes etc) is h²LBgρ in which

h is the height of water in each half (not the combined height) [enter in m]
L is the length of tank [enter in m]
B is the breadth of tank [enter in m]
g = 9.8 N kg^-1
ρ = density of water = 1000 kg m^-3

The answer will come out in joule (J)

 

[Yoann]

Thanks, appreciate your help! That helps a lot!

 

[sardar]

Hello,

Calculating the energy needed to fill basins with water requires some basic understanding of physics and engineering principles. The amount of energy needed will depend on several factors, including the volume of water to be transferred, the height difference between the two basins, and the efficiency of the motor or machine being used.

To start, we can use the formula for potential energy (PE) to calculate the amount of energy needed to lift the water from one basin to the other. PE is equal to the mass of an object (in this case, the water) multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2) and the height it is being lifted (h). So, the formula would be PE = mgh.

In this scenario, the height (h) is 8 meters (half of the basin's height). The mass (m) of the water can be calculated by multiplying its density (usually around 1000 kg/m^3 for water) by its volume. To find the volume, we can use the formula for a rectangular prism, which is length x width x height. In this case, the volume would be (4m x 3m x 8m) = 96 m^3.

So, the mass of the water would be (1000 kg/m^3 x 96 m^3) = 96,000 kg. Plugging this into the formula, we get PE = (96,000 kg) x (9.8 m/s^2) x (8m) = 7,468,800 J (joules). This is the amount of energy needed to lift the water from one basin to the other.

However, this calculation does not take into account the efficiency of the motor or machine being used to transfer the water. In reality, there will be some energy lost due to friction and other factors. So, the actual amount of energy needed will be slightly higher than the calculated value.

I hope this helps guide your calculations and project. As a scientist, it's always important to consider all factors and be aware of any limitations in your calculations. Good luck with your project!