KEVOS® MAKEOS · Geometry
Horizontal Tank Calibration Chart (Shell and Heads, Volume by Depth)
How much liquid is in this horizontal cylindrical tank with dished heads at my dip reading, what is the full capacity, and what does the depth chart look like?
Contents of a horizontal cylindrical tank with flat, 2:1 ellipsoidal or hemispherical heads: liquid volume in the shell at a depth (as the tank volume tool), the liquid in both heads at the same depth (the two heads together form a sphere or a half-depth spheroid), total and full capacity (full matching the vessel head volume tool), percentage full, liquid mass, the time to fill the rest at a pump rate, and a calibration chart every tenth of the diameter.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Inside diameter | mm | Inside diameter of the shell. |
| Shell length (tangent to tangent) | mm | Length of the cylindrical shell between the head tangent lines. |
| Heads | choice | Shape of the two end heads. |
| Liquid depth (dip) | mm | Liquid depth measured from the bottom of the shell. |
| Liquid density | kg/m³ | Density of the liquid. |
| Filling pump rate | L/min | Flow of the filling pump. |
Method and formulas
- Shell segment area A = r² cos⁻¹[(r − h) ÷ r] − (r − h)√(2rh − h²); shell volume = A L (as the tank volume tool).
- Two hemispherical heads = a sphere: V = π h² (3r − h) ÷ 3; two 2:1 ellipsoidal heads = half of that (a spheroid of half depth); flat heads add nothing.
- Full capacity = π r² L + heads (as the vessel head volume tool); fill time = (full − contents) ÷ pump rate.
- Example: at 400 mm the tank holds 1,107.3 L (28.796% of 3,845.3 L); filling the rest takes 27.38 min.
Limitations
- Level tank; a slope changes the readings, especially near empty and full.
- Inside dimensions; nozzles and internals are not deducted.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Make a dip chart for a fuel or water tank
- Convert a dip reading to litres
- Find the time to fill a tank
Who it is for
- Plant engineers
- Operators
- Fuel and storage managers
What you get
- Shell, head and total volume at the dip
- Full capacity, percentage and mass
- Fill time and calibration chart
Interpreting the result
- The middle of a horizontal tank holds the most per millimetre of dip: readings near the top and bottom change slowly.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 68–69, 82–87. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Horizontal Tank Calibration Chart (Shell and Heads, Volume by Depth) calculator
