Tank Volume Calculator Page 1 of 4

Tank Schematic:
Horizontal Cylinder

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About this Calculator

Estimate the total and filled volumes of tanks such as oil tanks and water tanks.  Assumes inside
dimensions of the tank.

*Actual fill volumes will differ.  Tank volume calculations are based on tank geometries shown belo
These tank shapes are calculated assuming exact geometric solid shapes such as cylinders, circles and
spheres.  Actual water and oil tanks may not be perfect geometric shapes or might have other feature
accounted for here so, these calculations should only be considered estimates.

Methods to calculate the volume of tanks and the volume of a liquid inside a tank.
3 3
These calculations will give you cubic measures such as ft or m depending on your units of measure.

Horizontal Cylinder Tank

Total volume of a cylinder shaped tank is the area, A, of

the circular end times the length, l. A = πr2 where r is the
radius which is equal to 1/2 the diameter or d/2.
Therefore:
2
V(tank) = πr l

The filled volume of a horizontal cylinder tank is calculated

by first finding the area, A, of a circular segment and
multiplying it by the length, l.

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2
Area of the circular segment, the grey shaded area, is A = (1/2)r (θ - sinθ) where θ = 2*arccos(m/r).
2
Therefore, V(segment) = (1/2)r (θ - sinθ)l.  If the fill height f is less than 1/2 of d then we use the seg
created from the filled height and V(fill) = V(segment).  However, if the fill height f is greater than 1
d then we use the segment that is created by the empty portion of the tank and subtract it from the to
volume to get the filled volume; V(fill) = V(tank) - V(segment).

Vertical Cylinder Tank

Total volume of a cylinder shaped tank is the area, A, of

the circular end times the height, h. A = πr2 where r is the
radius which is equal to d/2. Therefore:
2
V(tank) = πr h

The filled volume of a vertical cylinder tank is just a shorter

cylinder with the same radius, r, and diameter, d, but
height is now the fill height or f.  Therefore:
2
V(fill) = πr f

Rectangle Tank

Total volume of a rectangular prism shaped tank is length

times width times height. Therefore,
V(tank) = lwh

The filled volume of a rectangular tank is just a shorter

height with the same length and width.  The new height is
the fill height or f.  Therefore:
V(fill) = lwf

Horizontal Oval Tank

Volume of an oval tank is calculated by finding the area, A, of the end, which is the shape of a stadium
multiplying it by the length, l.  A = πr2 + 2ra and it can be proven that r = h/2 and a = w - h where w

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Tank Volume Calculator Page 3 of 4

must always be true.  Therefore:

V(tank) = (πr2 + 2ra)l

Volume of fill of a horizontal oval tank is best calculated if

we assume it is 2 halves of a cylinder separated by a
rectangular tank.  We then calculate fill volume of 1) a
Horizontal Cylinder Tank where l = l, f = f, and diameter
d = h, and 2) a Rectangle Tank where l = l, f = f, and
rectangle width w is a = w - h of the oval tank.
V(fill) = V(fill-horizontal-cylinder) + V(fill-rectangle)

Vertical Oval Tank

Volume of an oval tank is calculated by finding the area, A,

of the end, which is the shape of a stadium, and
2
multiplying it by the length, l.  A = πr + 2ra and it can be
proven that r = w/2 and a = h - w where h>w must always
be true.  Therefore:
V(tank) = (πr2 + 2ra)h

Volume of fill of a vertical oval tank is best calculated if we

assume it is 2 halves of a cylinder separated by a
rectangular tank. With r = w/2 = hieght of the semicircle
ends, we can define 3 general fill position areas.

• Fill, f < r
We calculate fill volume using the circular segment
method, as in a Horizontal Cylinder Tank, for the filled
portion.
• Fill, f > r and f < (r+a)
The filled volume is exactly 1/2 of the cylinder portion plus the volume of fill inside the rectangular
portion.
• Fill, f > (r+a) and f < h
We calculate fill volume using the circular segment method, as in a Horizontal Cylinder Tank, for th
empty portion.  Volume will be V(tank) - V(segment).

Horizontal Capsule Tank

We treat a capsule as a sphere of diameter d split in half and separated by a cylinder of diameter d an
height a.  Where r = d/2.
3
V(sphere) = (4/3)πr , and
2
V(cylinder) = πr a, therefore
2
V(capsule) = πr ((4/3)r + a)

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Volume of fill for a horizontal capsule is done by using the

circular segment method for the Horizontal Cylinder and,
with a similar approach, using calculations of a spherical
cap for the sphere section of the tank where,
V(spherical cap) = (1/3)πh2(3R - h)

Vertical Capsule Tank

We treat a capsule as a sphere of diameter d split in half

and separated by a cylinder of diameter d and height a. 
Where r = d/2.
2
V(capsule) = πr ((4/3)r + a)

Volume of fill for a vertical capsule is calculated in a

fashion similar to the method used for the Vertical Oval
Tank where r = d/2 = height of each hemisphere end.

• Fill, f < r
We calculate fill volume using the spherical cap method,
for the filled portion.
• Fill, f > r and f < (r+a)
The filled volume is exactly 1/2 of the sphere portion
plus the volume of fill inside the vertical cylinder
portion.
• Fill, f > (r+a) and f < h
We calculate fill volume using the spherical cap method for the empty portion.  Volume will be V(ta
V(spherical cap).

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