How to Calculate Dehydration Tower Capacity

Calculating the capacity of a dehydration tower will let you know how much liquid or gas it can treat at one time. A dehydration tower is used to remove water from a liquid or gas to make it pure. An example of dehydration tower use is the removal of water from natural gas. The capacity of a dehydration tower depends on its internal volume, which can be estimated after measuring the required dimensions of the tower.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the length and inside diameter of the circular interior of the tower in inches. For example, assume a length and diameter of 200 inches and 18 inches, respectively.

2. Divide the diameter by 2 to obtain the inside radius of the tower in inches. For example, 18 inches ÷ 2 = a radius of 9 inches.

3. Multiply the number pi, 3.14, by the square of the radius and by the length to arrive at the capacity of the dehydration tower in cubic inches. For example, 3.14 x 9 inches x 9 inches x 200 inches = 50,868 cubic inches.

4. Divide the capacity of the tower by 231 to convert to gallons (231 cubic inches equals one gallon). For example, 50,868 cubic inches ÷ 231 cubic inches per gallon = 220.2 gallons of total dehydration tower capacity.

References

• "Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics"; Raymond A. Serway, et al.; 2009
• Wolfram MathWorld: Cylinder
• The Engineering ToolBox: Unit Converter with the most Common Units
• Wolfram MathWorld: Diameter