Application of 1st Order DE in Drainage of a Water

Tank

Use the law of conservation of mass:

The total volume of water leaving the tank during t
(V exit ) =
The total volume of water supplied by the tank during
t (V tank )

We have from Equation : V = A v(t)t, in which v(t) is

the velocity of moving fluid

Thus, the volume of water leaving the tap exit is:

2
d (a)
V exit = Av(t) t = 4

) 2 gh(t ) t

with v(t) = 2gh(t)

Next, we need to formulate the water supplied by the
tank, V tank :
The initial water level in
the tank is h

The water level keeps

dropping after the
tap exit is opened, and
the reduction of
Water level is
CONTINUOUS

Let the water level at

time t be h(t)

We let h(t) = amount of drop of water level during time

increment t
(b)
Then, the volume of water LOSS in the tank is: V tan k =
2
D
4 h (t)

(Caution: a - sign is given to V tank b/c of the LOSS of water

volume during t)

The total volume of water leaving the tank during t (V exit ) in

Equation (a) = The total volume of water supplied by the tank
during t (V tank ) in Equation (b):
Equation (a): Equation (b):
2 2
d D
4
2 g h(t ) t = 4 h(t )

2
h(t) 1 d
By re-arranging the above: t = [h(t)] 2
(d)
( D2 ) 2 g

If the process of draining is indeed CONTINUOUS, i.e.,

t 0, we will have equation (d) expressed in the
differential rather than difference form as follows:
dh(t) d2
dt = 2 g ( D2 ) h(t)
(f)
with an initial condition of h(0) = ho
Equation (3.13) is the 1st order differential equation for
the draining of a water tank
The solution of Equation (3.13) can be done by
separating the function h(t) and the variable t by re-
arranging the terms in the following way:
dh(t) d2
h (t) = 2 g ( D2 )dt

1 d2
Upon integrating on both sides: h 2
dh = 2 g ( D2 )

dt +c

where c = integration constant from which, we obtain the

solution :
 1 d2
2h 2
= 2 g ( D2 ) dt +c

The constant c = 2 h o is determined from the initial

condition in Equation(f).

The complete solution with the initial condition in Equation (f) is

thus:
2 2

h(t )
= [
( )
g d
2 D2
t+ h o]
(g)

The solution in Equation (g) will allow us to determine

the water level in the tank at any
given instant, t.
The time required to drain the tank is the time te.
Mathematically, itis expressed as h(te) = 0:
2 2
[
( )g d
2 D2
t e+ h o] =0

We may solve for te from the above expression to be:

te = D2
d2 2 h o
g

Numerical example:
Tank diameter, D = 12 = 1 ft.
Drain pipe diameter, d = 1 = 1/12 ft.
Initial water level in the tank, ho = 12 = 1 ft.
Gravitational acceleration, g = 32.2 ft/sec.
The time required to empty the tank is:
1
1
12
te = ( = 35.89 seconds

2
2x 1
32.2