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ENGR5002 / Week 1
Week 1 Exercise 1Exercise sheetCurrent specThird4 min

Week 1 Exercises, Exercise 1 (Pressure in a Tank)

A large tank is filled with crude oil of relative density (RD=0.90RD = 0.90). The tank is vented at the top, so the free surface of the oil is exposed to the atmosphere at pressure pap_a. The height level of the oil in the tank is H=12 mH = 12\ \mathrm{m}.

Calculate the absolute pressure at the bottom of the tank.

Data: relative density of crude oil RD=0.90RD = 0.90; density of water ρw=1000 kg/m3\rho_w = 1000\ \mathrm{kg/m^3}; gravitational acceleration g=9.81 m/s2g = 9.81\ \mathrm{m/s^2}; atmospheric pressure pa=101.3 kPap_a = 101.3\ \mathrm{kPa}.

Vented tank of crude oil, depth H = 12 m, free surface at p_a.
Vented tank of crude oil, depth H = 12 m, free surface at p_a.
Formulas you may need
  • Relative density: RD=ρρwRD = \dfrac{\rho}{\rho_w} (on the formula sheet)
  • Pressure at depth: p(z)=p(z=0)+ρgzp(z) = p(z=0) + \rho g z (on the formula sheet)
  • Gauge pressure: pg=p−patmp_g = p - p_{atm} (on the formula sheet)