PipeSage
Fluid Mechanics / Gravity Drainage

Tank Drain Time Calculator

Enter tank diameter, orifice size, and starting/ending fluid heights to get drain time under gravity.

Drain Time
min
In Seconds
s

How this is calculated

t = [2·A_tank / (Cd·A_orifice·√(2g))] · (√h1 − √h2)
Enter values above to see the worked calculation.

When to use this calculator

This is Torricelli's law integrated over a falling head, which is why drain time isn't simply volume ÷ initial flow rate — flow slows as the tank empties and the driving pressure head drops. This assumes a constant-diameter vertical tank and a small orifice relative to the tank cross-section.

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