Fluid dynamics, water emptying out of cylinder

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the time required to empty half of a cylindrical tank filled with water, utilizing principles from fluid dynamics. The initial height of the water is 1.00 meters, with a cross-sectional area of 0.785 m² and a hole at the bottom with an area of 0.002 m². The correct calculation for the time to reach half-empty status is derived using Torricelli's law, resulting in a time of approximately 51.93 seconds, contrasting with an incorrect initial estimate of 44.3 seconds. The discussion emphasizes the importance of applying the unsteady state mass balance and integrating the differential equation to arrive at the accurate solution.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fluid dynamics principles, specifically Torricelli's law.
  • Familiarity with calculus, particularly integration techniques.
  • Knowledge of mass balance equations in fluid systems.
  • Basic understanding of Bernoulli's principle and its application in fluid flow.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the application of Torricelli's law in various fluid dynamics scenarios.
  • Learn advanced integration techniques relevant to differential equations.
  • Explore unsteady state mass balance concepts in fluid systems.
  • Investigate the implications of Bernoulli's principle in real-world fluid flow problems.
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in engineering, particularly those specializing in fluid dynamics, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering, will benefit from this discussion. It is also valuable for anyone involved in hydraulic system design or analysis.

Funktimus
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Homework Statement


Tank is filled with water to a height h_0 = 1.00 meters
Cross section area of tank (A_1 = .785 m^2)
Hole at bottom of tank with an area, A_2 = .002 m^2



Homework Equations


How much time does it tank to half empty the tank? find t_(1/2).

Question also provides "a useful antiderivative."
/ = integral sign
/ x^(-1/2) dx = 2x^(1/2)


The Attempt at a Solution


1.
V = A_2 * v_hole
dV/dt = A_2 * v_hole

2. getting an equation for velocity coming out of hole
v_hole = [2gh + (v_surf)^2] ; got that from using Bernoulli's principle.

3. equation of continuity to get v_surf
v_surf = v_hole * A_hole / A_surf

thus,

v_hole = (2gh)^(1/2) , since [1 - (A_2/A_1)^2] = ~1

4. rate of change of the level of water in the tank
dh/dt = (-v_hole * A_2)/(A_1)
dh/dt = -.0113

5.
h_2 - h_0 = -.0113 * t_(1/2)
a half empty tank means, h goes down 1/2, 1/2 of h = 1, h=-.5
t_(1/2) = -.5m / -.0013 m/s = 44.3 s

44.3 s is wrong though. I don't get how come. I went through the hints for this problem. It mentions

dy/dx = f(x) * g(y) ... f(x) and g(y) are known functions

/ dy/g(y) = / f(x)dx

I don't get which known functions they are referring to. And it's also been probably 2 years since I ever used calculus, so those equations don't make much sense to me.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
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First, we establish an unsteady state mass balance on the tank
\frac{dm}{dt} = -w
We can express mass inside the tank as m = \rho V = \rho A_1 h, where density and cross section area are constant, so the only variable changing in time is the height of liquid inside the tank. We can also express the mass flow rate out of the tank as w = \rho A_2 v. Now we need to relate the exiting velocity with the height of the liquid. We can go ahead and use Torricelli's law, v = v = \sqrt{2gh}, turning our unsteady state model into a quasi-steady state one.
A_1 \frac{dh}{dt} = - A_2 \sqrt{2gh}
We want to know the time it takes to empty half of the tank, so we can separate variables and integrate the differential equation from 0 to t_{\frac{1}{2}} and h_0 to \frac{h_0}{2}
\int_0^{t_{\frac{1}{2}}} dt = - \frac{1}{\sqrt{2g}} \frac{A_1}{A_2} \int_{h_0}^{\frac{h_0}{2}} \frac{dh}{\sqrt{h}}
t_{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{2}{\sqrt{2g}} \frac{A_1}{A_2} \left(\sqrt{h_0} - \sqrt{\frac{h_0}{2}} \right)
Finally, we just plug in the values and solve
t_{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{2}{\sqrt{2 \left(9.8 \ \frac{m}{s^2} \right)}} \frac{0.785 \ m^2}{0.002 \ m^2} \left(\sqrt{1 \ m} - \sqrt{\frac{1 \ m}{2}} \right) = 51.93 \ s
 

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