WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Flow of Fluid through a Hole in a Tank

​
height of the liquid (ft)
10.
coefficient of discharge c
0.594
size of hole ​
2
ft
​
0.0872
The volume of liquid (in cfs, cubic feet per second) escaping through a crack in the side of an underground storage tank (containing gasoline, diesel, etc.), either horizontal or vertical, is governed by Bernoulli's equation. This is derived from the energy equation as a function of height (or head)
h
, crack area
a
, and coefficient of discharge
c
. A simplified form of Bernoulli’s equation,
Q=ac
2gh
, was used here.​