BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Fabrication
Oval Tank Capacity and Weight (Elliptical Section, Shell Plate, Full Mass)
How much does this oval (elliptical) tank hold, how much plate does it take, and what will it weigh full?
Check of a horizontal or vertical tank with an elliptical cross-section and flat ends: section area and perimeter (as the ellipse tool), capacity, shell and end plate area and mass for the plate thickness, the contents at the fill level, and the full weight on its supports, checked against the capacity you need and the support capacity.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Major axis (full width) | mm | Full length of the major axis of the ellipse. |
| Minor axis (full height) | mm | Full length of the minor axis. |
| Tank length | mm | Length of the tank between its flat ends. |
| Plate thickness | mm | Thickness of the shell and end plates. |
| Plate density | kg/m³ | Density of the plate. |
| Contents density | kg/m³ | Density of the contents. |
| Fill level (share of volume) | % | How full the tank is normally filled, as a share of its volume. |
| Requirements | ||
| Capacity needed | L | Capacity the tank must have. |
| Support capacity | kg | Load the supports or mounting can carry. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Major axis (full width)
- What it is
- The full width of the elliptical cross-section across its longest axis, measured inside or to the mid-plane of the shell as your drawing states.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1600 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity and section area rise in direct proportion to the major axis.
- Get it right
- Enter the full axis, not the semi-axis; the tool takes the larger of the two axes as the major one.
What this means: Minor axis (full height)
- What it is
- The full height of the elliptical cross-section across its shortest axis.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1000 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity and section area rise in direct proportion to the minor axis.
- Get it right
- Enter the full axis, not half of it.
What this means: Tank length
- What it is
- The length of the tank between its two flat end plates, along the axis of the elliptical shell.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 3000 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in direct proportion to length; shell plate area also grows with it.
What this means: Plate thickness
- What it is
- The thickness of the plate used for both the shell and the two flat ends.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 4 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Plate mass rises in direct proportion to thickness.
- Get it right
- If the ends are thicker than the shell, the plate mass is underestimated.
What this means: Plate density
- What it is
- The density of the shell and end plate material, from the material data sheet.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m³: kilograms per cubic metre. The form accepts 0.000001 kg/m³ to 20000 kg/m³. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 7850 kg/m³ as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Plate mass rises in direct proportion to plate density.
What this means: Contents density
- What it is
- The density of the liquid or product stored in the tank at its storage temperature.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m³: kilograms per cubic metre. The form accepts 0.000001 kg/m³ to 20000 kg/m³. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1000 kg/m³ as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Contents mass and full weight rise with contents density; capacity does not change.
- Get it right
- Use the densest product the tank may hold when checking the supports.
What this means: Fill level (share of volume)
- What it is
- How full the tank is normally filled, as a share of its total volume, used to work out the mass of the contents.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 0% to 100%. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 95% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- It changes only the contents mass and full weight, not the capacity.
- Get it right
- Type the percentage itself (90 for 90 %). Use the highest level it can be filled to when checking supports.
Requirements
What this means: Capacity needed
- What it is
- The volume the tank must be able to hold, from the process or storage requirement.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in L: litres. The form accepts 0 L to 100000000 L. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 3500 L as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- It is compared with the full geometric capacity, not the fill level; allow for any ullage you need.
What this means: Support capacity
- What it is
- The total mass the supports, saddles or mounting frame can carry, from their design or the supplier’s rating.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg: kilograms. The form accepts 0.000001 kg to 100000000 kg. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 5000 kg as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Enter the total for all supports together, as a mass in kilograms.
Method and formulas
- Area = π a b; perimeter by Ramanujan’s approximation (as the ellipse tool).
- Capacity = area × length; plate area = perimeter × length + 2 × section area.
- Plate mass = plate area × thickness × density; full weight = plate mass + capacity × fill × contents density.
- Example: the tank holds 3,769.9 L; 14.929 m² of plate weighs 468.78 kg; full it weighs 4,050.2 kg.
Limitations
- Flat ends; dished ends add volume and change plate area.
- Flat oval shells need stiffeners or baffles against pressure and slosh: not checked here.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Size a fuel or water tank to fit under a chassis or in a corner
- Estimate plate for an oval tank
- Check supports for the full weight
Who it is for
- Fabrication supervisors
- Design engineers
- Estimators
What you get
- Section area, perimeter and capacity
- Plate area and mass
- Contents and full weight
Interpreting the result
- An oval section stores less than a circle of the same perimeter, but fits low spaces.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 48–50, 70–75. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Oval Tank Capacity and Weight (Elliptical Section, Shell Plate, Full Mass) calculator