Unsteady state mass balance -- Draining of a tank

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the unsteady state mass balance of a cylindrical tank being drained through an orifice while simultaneously being fed with a constant flow. Participants explore the mathematical modeling of the fluid dynamics involved, focusing on the calculation of the volume of liquid spilled over a specified time period.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a mass balance equation and attempts to derive the height of the liquid in the tank over time, leading to a negative volume of spilled liquid, which raises questions about the assumptions made.
  • Another participant provides a crude approximation of the spilled volume, suggesting a value of 0.3 m3.
  • Concerns are raised about a potential math error in the integration step, with a participant noting that the equation may not be separable as initially thought.
  • A participant suggests using the integrating factor method or Laplace transforms to solve the differential equation, indicating a shift in approach due to difficulties encountered in the original method.
  • Further calculations yield a height of 2.371 m, but again result in a negative volume of spilled liquid, prompting discussions about the validity of the approach and the need for a control volume analysis.
  • Another participant proposes rearranging the equation to facilitate integration, leading to a new expression that still presents challenges in solving for height.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the correct approach to solving the problem, with no consensus reached on the validity of the methods used or the resulting calculations. Multiple competing views remain regarding the integration techniques and the interpretation of results.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in their approaches, such as unresolved mathematical steps and the dependence on assumptions about the tank's capacity and flow rates. The discussion highlights the complexity of fluid dynamics in unsteady state conditions.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and professionals interested in fluid dynamics, particularly in the context of mass balance equations and unsteady state systems in engineering applications.

MexChemE
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Homework Statement


A cylindrical tank, with a diameter Db, open to the atmosphere, is drained through an orifice in the bottom of the tank with a diameter Do. The speed of the fluid flowing through the orifice is given by v = \sqrt{2gh}, where h is the height of the liquid measured from the bottom of the tank.
Calculate the amount of liquid spilled in 10 minutes (600 seconds), when h0 = 2 m, Db = 1 m, and Do = 0.01 m. The tank is also fed with a constant flow of 0.001 m3 s-1.

Homework Equations


\frac{dm}{dt} = \dot{m}_{in} - \dot{m}_{out}

The Attempt at a Solution


I sketched an schematic diagram of the problem, which I attached below. First, since I'm dealing with a pure substance I went ahead and skipped the mass balance and instead started from the dummy volume "balance."
\frac{dV}{dt} = Q_1 - Q_2
But V = Abh and Q2 = Aov. Also, v = \sqrt{2gh}, so:
A_b \frac{dh}{dt} = Q_1 - A_o \sqrt{2gh}
Separating variables and integrating:
\int_{h_0}^h \frac{dh}{\sqrt{h}} = \left( \frac{Q_1}{A_b} - \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{2g} \right) \int_0^t dt
Yields:
h = \left( \sqrt{h_0} + 0.5 \left( \frac{Q_1}{A_b} - \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{2g} \right) t \right)^2
Now, calculating both areas yields Ab = 0.785 m2 and Ao = 7.854x10-5 m2. This is where trouble begins. Plugging all given values into h(t) yields h = 2.767 m. I would normally calculate the volume of spilled liquid with:
V_{\textrm{spilled}} = A_b (h_0 - h)
But plugging in these values yields a negative result. Obviously the amount of liquid entering the tank is greater than the amount flowing out, but then, how does one measure the amount of the spilled liquid only? Also, I'm assuming unlimited tank capacity. I tried integrating the exiting flow:
V_{\textrm{spilled}} = \int_0^{600} Q(t) dt = A_o \sqrt{2g} \int_0^{600} \sqrt{h}(t) \ dt
But it yielded the same negative result. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any input!
 

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With my crude spreadsheet approximation I get 0.3 m3
 
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MexChemE said:
Separating variables and integrating:

You seem to have a math error here at this step. I don't get your expression
 
rollingstein said:
With my crude spreadsheet approximation I get 0.3 m3
Yes, the given solution was approximately 0.36 m3, IIRC.

rollingstein said:
You seem to have a math error here at this step. I don't get your expression
I've just realized the mistake I made. I did a similar problem earlier where there was no flow entering the tank so you could just divide the whole equation by h0.5 in order to separate variables. I just did the same move mechanically without noticing this:
\frac{1}{\sqrt{h}} \frac{dh}{dt} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{h}} \frac{Q_1}{A_b} - \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{2g}
This equation is not separable. I will try with the integrating factor method tomorrow. Thanks for your insight!

Edit: Wait, I just noticed I can't solve it by integrating factor either. Maybe Laplace transform?
 
Last edited:
MexChemE said:
Edit: Wait, I just noticed I can't solve it by integrating factor either. Maybe Laplace transform?

Would this help?

http://www4c.wolframalpha.com/Calculate/MSP/MSP7781hc41d1423ia76fd000068i13i36gd2hf2b0?MSPStoreType=image/gif&s=53&w=337.&h=41.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rollingstein said:
Would this help?
I couldn't manage to rearrange my equation as shown in the integral above, what I did was to linearize the following DE using a first-order Taylor series expansion, with a = 2:
\frac{dh}{dt} + \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{2g} \sqrt{h} = \frac{Q_1}{A_b}
\sqrt{h} = \sqrt{2} + \frac{\sqrt{2}}{4} (h-2)
\frac{dh}{dt} + \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{2g} \left(\sqrt{2} + \frac{\sqrt{2}}{4} (h-2) \right) = \frac{Q_1}{A_b}
\frac{dh}{dt} + 0.5 \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{g} \ h = \frac{Q_1}{A_b} - \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{g}
Letting:
G = 0.5 \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{g}
K = \frac{Q_1}{A_b} - \frac{A_o}{A_b} \sqrt{g}
We arrive at a much simpler first-order linear DE, which I decided to solve by Laplace transform because my LTs were rusty and I wanted to review them:
\frac{dh}{dt} + Gh = K
sH(s) -2 + GH(s) = K \frac{1}{s}
H(s) = K \left( \frac{1}{s(s-(-G))} \right) + 2 \left( \frac{1}{s-(-G)} \right)
Using partial fractions:
\frac{1}{s(s-(-G))} = \frac{1}{G} \left(\frac{1}{s} \right) - \frac{1}{G} \left( \frac{1}{s-(-G)} \right)
H(s) = \frac{K}{G} \left(\frac{1}{s} \right) + \left( 2- \frac{K}{G} \right) \left( \frac{1}{s-(-G)} \right)
Applying inverse LT:
h = \frac{K}{G} + \left(2- \frac{K}{G} \right) e^{-Gt}
Now, calculating the constants yields G = 1.5668x10-4, K = 9.6052x10-4, and K/G = 6.1305. Plugging in these values and t = 600 s into h(t) yields h = 2.371 m. If I calculate the volume of spilled liquid using the formula V_{\textrm{spilled}} = A_b (h_0 - h) I get the same result as you did, but negative: -0.3 m3. Am I missing something? Would it work if I drew a control volume in the bottom orifice and set up a new volume balance, taking into account the correct function for h, the one I derived in this post? That would yield the same result but positive, right?
MexChemE said:
Yes, the given solution was approximately 0.36 m3, IIRC.
The given solution was actually 0.306 m3, so we're pretty close.
 
MexChemE said:
I couldn't manage to rearrange my equation as shown in the integral above,

Take all terms including h to the denominator of the left hand side. Then divide both Numerator & Denominator by Ao * sqrt ( 2g)
 
rollingstein said:
Take all terms including h to the denominator of the left hand side. Then divide both Numerator & Denominator by Ao * sqrt ( 2g)
Let's see:
\frac{A_b}{Q_1 - A_o \sqrt{2gh}} \frac{dh}{dt} = 1
\frac{ \frac{A_b}{A_o \sqrt{2g}}}{\frac{Q_1}{A_o \sqrt{2g}} - \sqrt{h}} \frac{dh}{dt} = 1
Letting:
E = \frac{A_b}{A_o \sqrt{2g}}
Z = \frac{Q_1}{A_o \sqrt{2g}}
E \int_{h_0=2}^h \frac{dh}{Z - \sqrt{h}} = \int_{t=0}^t dt
After integrating and some algebra:
\sqrt{h} - Z \ln (Z+ \sqrt{h}) = \frac{t}{2E} + \sqrt{2} - Z \ln (Z+ \sqrt{2})
Now, I really have no idea how to solve for h, I've been juggling for a while with logarithms and anti-logs, but haven't got anywhere. Thanks for all your insight so far, rollingstein!
 

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