BGHiggins/UCDavis/August2013

Flow Between Two Reservoirs

Background
Consider two tanks with cross-sectional areas A1 and A2 connected by a pipe with diameter D and
length L. Suppose the initial height of the liquid in tank 1 is h10 , and the initial height and in tank 2 in h20 .
Let the flow rate at any instant in time in the pipe be Q(t). Assume further that the flow rate in the pipe is
quasi steady laminar flow so that the flow rate is given by
p D4 DP
Q HtL = (1)
128 m L
Now a mass balance over the liquid in tank 1 gives
„h1
A1 = -Q HtL, h1 H0L = h10 (2)
„t
and similarly a mass balance over the liquid in tank 2 gives
„h2
A2 = Q HtL, h2 H0L = h20 (3)
„t
It follows then that
„h1 „h2
A1 + A2 =0 (4)
„t „t
Integrating gives
A2
h1 HtL = h10 - Hh2 HtL - h20 L (5)
A1
Now the pressure drop driving the flow in the connecting pipe is the differential hydrostatic head
DP
= r g Hh1 - h2 L (6)
L
Thus Eq. 3 becomes
„h2 p D4 rg
A2 = Hh1 - h2 L, h2 H0L = h20 (7)
„t 128 m
Substituting for h1 using Eq. 5 gives the following differential equation for h2 :
„h2 p D4 rg A2
A2 = h10 - Hh2 - h20 L - h2 , h2 H0L = h20 (8)
„t 128 m A1
Cleaning up this equation gives
„h2
= a Hh10 - b Hh2 - h20 L - h2 L, h2 H0L = h20
„t
(9)
2 ReserachGateProblem.nb

p D4 rg A2
a= , b=
A2 128 m A1
Integrating gives
h10 - ‰-t Ha+a bL h10 + ‰-t Ha+a bL h20 + h20 b
h2 HtL = (10)
1+b

Mathematica Simulation
We will take the following values for the parameters appearing in Eq. 10 ( in suitable units )
h10 = 10, h20 = 2, a = 2 , b = 1 (11)

Here is a plot that shows how h2 HtL changes with time ( in suitable units)

h10 - ‰-t Ha+a bL h10 + ‰-t Ha+a bL h20 + h20 b

PlotB ê. 8h10 Ø 10, h20 Ø 2, a Ø 2, b Ø 1<,
1+b
8t, 0, 4<, PlotRange Ø All, Frame Ø True, PlotStyle Ø Thick,
FrameLabel Ø 8Style@"t", 16D, Style@"h2 HtL", 16D<,
PlotLabel Ø Style@"Parmeters: h10 =10, h20 =2, a=2,b=1\n", 14DF

Parmeters: h10 =10, h20 =2, a=2,b=1

5
h2 HtL

Out[17]= 4

2
0 1 2 3 4

Final Comments
The key assumptions in this analysis is that the flow in the pipe is laminar and quasi steady, so that
entrance and exit effects are unimportant. Then the pressure drop driving the flow in the connecting
pipe is given by the differential hydrostatic head, see Eq. 10. This would be a reasonable assumption
for small diameter pipes or high viscosity liquids, or both.

(9)