Flow Through an Orifice

1st Order DE Application

Flow of water through an orifice:
Find the time required for a cylindrical
tank of radius 8 ft and height 10 ft to empty
through a round hole of radius 1 inch in the
bottom of the tank, given that water will
issue from such a hole with velocity
approximately 𝑣 = 4.8 ℎ ft/sec, h being
the depth of the water in the tank.
Flow of water through an orifice:
Time rate of change of the volume of water:
𝑑𝑉
= −𝑎𝑣
𝑑𝑡
Where:
′ ′
𝑉 𝑡 = 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑘
𝑎 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒
𝑣 = 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡
Torricelli's law
Torricelli's law states that the speed of efflux, v, of a
fluid through a sharp-edged hole at the bottom of a
tank filled to a depth h is the same as the speed that
a body (in this case a drop of water) would acquire
in falling freely from a height h, i.e. 𝑣 = 𝑐 2𝑔ℎ,
where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 N/kg
near the surface of the earth) and 𝑐 is based on the
viscosity of water (0.6 for metric system) .
Torricelli's law
Flow of water through an orifice:

Time rate of change of the volume of water:

𝑑𝑉 𝑑ℎ
= −𝐴
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Where:
ℎ 𝑡 =height of water in the ‘tank’
𝐴 = cross-sectional area of the ‘tank’
Flow of water through an orifice:

Time rate of change of the volume of water:

𝑑ℎ
−𝐴 = −𝑎𝑣 = −(𝑎)(4.8 ℎ )
𝑑𝑡
𝑣 = 4.8 ℎ ft/sec (Imperial)
𝑑ℎ 𝑎
= (4.8) ℎ
𝑑𝑡 𝐴
Flow of water through an orifice:
2
1
𝑑ℎ 𝜋
=− 12 (4.8) ℎ
𝑑𝑡 𝜋 8 2

𝑑ℎ 1
=− ℎ
𝑑𝑡 1920
Flow of water through an orifice:
𝑑ℎ 1
=− 𝑑𝑡
ℎ 1920
1
ℎ2 1
=− 𝑡 + 2𝐶
1 1920
2
Flow of water through an orifice:

At 𝑡 = 0, ℎ = 10
1
102 1
=− (0) + 2𝐶
1 1920
2
𝐶 = 10 = 3.1623
Flow of water through an orifice:

Time to empty the tank (ℎ = 0)

1
02 1
=− (𝑡) + 2 10
1 1920
2
𝑡 = 1920 ∙ 2 10 = 12143 seconds
𝑡 = 3 hours 22 mins
Flow of water through an orifice:
Example:

Find the height of the water in the tank at

any time if the tank has diameter 2 m, the
hole has diameter 1 cm, and the initial
height of the water when the hole is
opened is 2.25 m. When will the tank be
empty?
Solution:
𝑑ℎ 𝑎
=− 𝑣
𝑑𝑡 𝐴
Given:
𝑣 = 0.600 2𝑔ℎ
𝑔 = 9.8 m/s = 980 cm/s
2 2
Solution:
2
𝑑ℎ 𝑑
=− 0.600 2𝑔 ℎ
𝑑𝑡 𝐷
2
𝑑ℎ 𝑑
=− 0.600 2𝑔 𝑑𝑡
ℎ 𝐷
Solution:
2
1
2 ℎ=− 0.600 2 ∙ 980 𝑡 + 2𝐶
200
When 𝑡 = 0, ℎ 0 = 225 cm

225 = 𝐶 = 15
Solution:
2
1 1
ℎ=− 0.600 2 ∙ 980 𝑡 + 15
2 200

2 2
1 1
ℎ = 15 − 0.600 2 ∙ 980 𝑡
2 200
Time to empty the tank:
2
𝑑ℎ 𝑑
=− 0.600 2𝑔 ℎ
𝑑𝑡 𝐷
2
𝐷
𝑑 𝑑ℎ
𝑑𝑡 = −
0.600 2𝑔 ℎ
Time to empty the tank:

When 𝑡 = 0, ℎ(0) = 225 cm

2
𝑡
𝐷 0
𝑑 𝑑ℎ
න 𝑑𝑡 = − න
0 0.600 2 ∙ 𝑔 225 ℎ
Time to empty the tank:
2
𝑡
200 0
1 𝑑ℎ
න 𝑑𝑡 = − න
0 0.600 2 ∙ 980 225 ℎ

𝑡 = 45175 seconds
𝑡 = 12.55 hours
Time to empty the tank:
Seatwork:

A tank shaped like a vertical cylinder

contains water to a depth of 9 ft. A bottom
plug is pulled at time t = 0. After 1 h the
depth has dropped to 4 ft. How long will it
take for all of the water to drain from the
tank?
Seatwork:
𝑑ℎ
= −𝑘 ℎ
𝑑𝑡
𝑑ℎ
= −𝑘𝑑𝑡
ℎ
Seatwork:
4 1
𝑑ℎ
න = −𝑘 න 𝑑𝑡
9 ℎ 0

−2 = −𝑘 1

𝑘=2
Seatwork:
0 𝑡
𝑑ℎ
න = −2 න 𝑑𝑡
9 ℎ 0

−6 = −2 𝑡

𝑡 = 3 hours
Assignment:
Find the time required for a square
tank of side 6 ft and depth 9 ft to empty
through a one inch circular hole in the
bottom. (Assume, 𝑣 = 4.8 ℎ ft/sec.)

Ans: 137 mins