Storage Tank Capacity Calculator

Work out storage tank capacity instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Storage Tank Capacity Calculator

Tank capacity is cross-sectional area times height, but the working capacity uses the maximum safe fill height rather than the shell height, leaving freeboard for thermal expansion, overfill protection response and any floating roof. One cubic metre is 6.2898 barrels.

Formulas

Tank capacity

Volume = pi x D^2 / 4 x height; barrels = m3 x 6.28981

Mass

Mass (t) = volume x density / 1000

Worked example

With the default values below, Storage Tank Capacity Calculator returns Working Capacity of 9,047.79. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Tank Diameterminimum 0.01 m: 30 m
Tank Shell Heightminimum 0.01 m: 14 m
Maximum Fill Heightminimum 0.01 m: 12.8 m
Product Densityminimum 0.01 kg/m3: 850 kg/m3

Results

Working Capacity: 9,047.79
Nominal Shell Capacity: 9,896.02
Capacity In Barrels: 56,908.9
Product Mass At Full Fill: 7,690.62

Step by step

1Values used
2Tank capacity
3Mass
4Working Capacity= 9,047.79
5Nominal Shell Capacity= 9,896.02
6Capacity In Barrels= 56,908.9
7Product Mass At Full Fill= 7,690.62

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Tank overfill protection, bunding and vapour control are regulated safety requirements. Never rely on capacity arithmetic alone in place of instrumented overfill protection.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Tank overfill protection, bunding and vapour control are regulated safety requirements. Never rely on capacity arithmetic alone in place of instrumented overfill protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is working capacity less than shell capacity?

Freeboard is required for thermal expansion, for the high-level alarm and trip to act before overfill, and for floating roof clearance. Losing that margin is what causes overfill incidents.

Does temperature affect the quantity?

Yes. Volumes must be corrected to a standard temperature, usually 15 C or 60 F, using the product's volume correction factor for custody transfer.