ROTATING VESSELS

Cylindrical vessels with free liquid surfaces

If an open vessels is partly filled with water o any liquid and is rotated at a certain velocity about
its vertical axis, its free surface becomes concave in form. Let us consider a small mass of water
a distance “ x” from the center and designate its weight as “ w”. The other forces acting upon this
mass are the pressures it receives from the surrounding particles, we call this force as “F” and is
acting normal to the curved surface. The resultant of this force is C and is acting horizontally and
act towards the center of rotation since the small mass of water is following a horizontal path and
is being uniformly accelerated towards the center of rotation.

𝑀𝑉 2
𝐶= (𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒)
𝑥
 𝑊𝑉 2
𝐶= (𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 "𝑥" )
𝑔𝑥
𝑉 = 𝜔𝑟
𝑉 = 𝜔𝑥
𝑊𝜔2 𝑥 2
𝐶=
𝑔𝑥
𝑊𝜔2 𝑥
𝐶=
𝑔
𝐶
𝑇𝑎𝑛 𝜃 =
𝑤
𝑊𝜔2 𝑥
𝑇𝑎𝑛 𝜃 =
𝑔𝑊
𝜔2 𝑥
𝑇𝑎𝑛 𝜃 =
𝑔
𝑑𝑦
𝑇𝑎𝑛 𝜃 =
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦 𝜔2 𝑥
=
𝑑𝑥 𝑔
𝜔2 𝑥
𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥
𝑔
𝜔2 𝑥𝑑𝑥
𝑦= ∫
𝑔
𝜔2 𝑥 2
𝑦=
2𝑔
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦 = ℎ
𝑥=𝑟

𝜔2 𝑟 2
ℎ=
2𝑔
Volume of water above “ab” before rotation:
𝑉1 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ1

Volume of water during rotation = volume of cylinder – volume of paraboloid

𝑉2 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ − 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑖𝑑

Volume of paraboloid:

𝑉 = ∫ 𝜋𝑥 2 𝑑𝑦

𝑥 2 = 4 𝑎𝑦 (𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑎)
𝑥2
𝑦=
4𝑎
1
Let 4𝑎 = 𝐾

𝑦 = 𝐾𝑥 2
 𝑦
𝑥2 =
𝐾
ℎ = 𝐾𝑟 2
ℎ
𝐾=
𝑟2
𝑦
𝑉 = ∫𝜋 𝑑𝑦
𝐾
𝜋𝑦𝑟 2
𝑉= ∫ 𝑑𝑦
ℎ
𝜋𝑟 2 𝑦 2 ℎ
𝑉= [ ]
ℎ 2 0

𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
𝑉=
2
Vol. of water above “ab”
𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
𝑉2 = 𝜋 2 h –
2

𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
𝑉2 = 2

There is no change in its volume as long as it will not overflow.

𝑉1 = 𝑉2

2
𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
𝜋𝑟 ℎ1 =
2
ℎ
ℎ1 =
2
Therefore the distance between the vertex of the paraboloid and the original water level is the
same as from the original level to the highest point on the new surface. But this holds true only
for cylindrical vessels.

Example 1:
A cylindrical tank 4 m. in diameter and 6 m. high is filled with water. It is filled to a position
enough for the water surface to cut the diameter of the base.

1. How much water is retained in the tank.

2. If the tank is placed in a vertical upright position, how deep is the water in the tank.
3. How fast in rpm could the tank be rotated about its vertical axis so that the depth of water
at the center is zero.
Solution :
1. Vol. of water retained :

𝐿
𝑉= (𝐴 + 4𝐴𝑚 + 𝐴2 )
6 1
𝐴1 = 0
𝐴2 = 0
𝐿=4
 2(6)
𝐴𝑚 =
2
𝐴𝑚 = 6

4
𝑉= [0 + 4(6) + 0]
6
4
𝑉 = (4)(6)
6

𝑉 = 𝟏𝟔 𝒄𝒖. 𝒎.

2. Deep of water in the tank in an upright position :

𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
16 = 𝜋(2)2 ℎ
ℎ = 1.27 𝑚.
 3. Value of 𝜔 in rpm:

𝜔2 𝑟 2
𝑦=
2𝑔
𝜔 (2)2
2
6=
2𝑔
5.42(60)
𝜔=
2𝜋

𝜔 = 𝟓𝟏. 𝟖 𝒓𝒑𝒎

Example 2:
An open cylindrical tank 3 m. high and 1 meter diameter contains 2 m. of water. If the cylinder
rotates about its geometrical axis.
1. What constant angular velocity can be attained without spilling any water?
2. What constant angular velocity can be attained if the depth of water at the center is 0.5
m?
 3. What constant angular velocity can be attained if the volume spilled out is equal to
0.196 𝑚3

Solution:

1. Constant angular velocity that can be attained without spilling any water.

𝜔2 𝑟 2
𝑦=
2𝑔
𝜔2 (0.5)2
2=
2(9.81)

𝜔 = 12.53 𝑟𝑎𝑑⁄𝑠𝑒𝑐.
2. Constant angular velocity that can be attained if the depth of water at the center is 0.5 m.

𝜔2 𝑟 2
𝑦=
2𝑔

𝜔2 (0.5)2
2.5 =
2(9.81)

𝜔 = 14.01 𝑟𝑎𝑑⁄𝑠𝑒𝑐.
3. Constant angular velocity that can be attained if the vol. spilled out is 0.196 𝑚3
𝜋(0.5)2 (𝑦) 𝜋(0.5)2 (2)
− = 0.196
2 2
𝑦 = 2.5
𝜔2 (0.5)2
2.5 =
2(9.81)

𝜔 = 14.01 𝑟𝑎𝑑⁄𝑠𝑒𝑐.