what is the best way to load up a petrol tanker. top, side or bottom & why? (minimum expenditure of energy)?

Question

what position would you use if you didnt want to use up much of your energy? it relates to physics in particular

Answer 1

My guess is the "best way" is the one most, if not all, petrol tankers use...from containers overhead, using massive hoses and spigots. Once the petrol products are raised into the container tanks (not the tankERs), gravity alone can be used to fill the tankers when they sidle up to the piers. In general, gravity alone is not used, but the electric pumps can be minimalized because gravity does in fact contribute much of the energy to make the transfers from tanks to tankers.

The physics rests in two equations: PE = mgh and W = mg. PE is the potential energy of the petrol products in the tanks of height (h) above ground level, the level from which the petrol products had to be pumped up to h. W is the weight of the product and g = 9.81 m/sec^2, which is the acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface. So the potential energy of, say, 1000 kg of petrol in a tank averaging 20 meters off the water's surface would be about PE = 1000 9.81 20 ~ 200,000 Joules.

When the spigots are opened, all that PE is transformed into kinetic energy as the liquid comes tumbling out and into the holding tanks of the tankers. And, for the most part, it was gravity's force that turned all that potential into realized kinetic energy to fill the tanker.

I've also seen direct fills from petrol pipelines. But that is a rare instance. For the most part, container tanks are needed to hold petrol products until a tanker comes to shore to fill up.

Understand that energy is used to get the petrol products into the container tanks. And, by some standards, that is lost energy because the tankers are not being filled with that energy, the container tanks are. But this is a necessary loss of efficiency because the tankers are not ready to receive their loads all the time. But using gravity to help load them when they are ready is a big help in minimalizing the energy needed to fill them.

Answer 2

In reality oil tankers ( and I assume you talk about them) are filled from the top: but the oil first has to be pumped up to a certain level which needs energy.

The practical way would be to fill it from the bottom: you build a pipe which runs under the ship and let the gravitation do its work (no energy needed to pump). The tank on the top would have to be closed. The oil would move up as it is lighter than water and would press out the water.

Easy experiment: use salad oil from the kitchen and poor it very slowly in a glass of water, it swims on the surface.

It is aphysics question as the specific weight (kg per volume) plays a role .

Answer 3

load? You mean to fill the tanker?
I would say top.
Bottom would be difficult because of pressure.
assuming its a clynderical shape.

load? if you meant to load a tanker on to something?
Look at tanker trucks or any fluid transportation (clynderical). They are situated side ways. Becasue side ways has greater surface area, the force is disributed in that greater surface.
Less force=less energy