B.

SHMUT'I'ER
U. ETROG
Geodetic Research Station
Technion, Haifa, Israel

Calibration of 10

Storage Tanks

Adequate accuracy is obtained

in the application of terrestrial
photographs. 11. IECI:. An oil storage tank was photo.
Points at a and b indicate the order in which
(Abstract on next page)
Inea-suretnents were •nade.

INTRODUCTION
OALIBRAr10N OF cylindrical oil storage tanks is a basic Incans of tneasuring oil
quantities. The usual calibration method consists of a direct measuretnent of
circurnferences of the tank at different levels. This method is applicable only if
scaffolding around the tank is available. Recently, tank construction Inethods were
employed ',vhich do not require the attachment of scaffolding to the tank. Hence the
direct measuring Inethod becornes impossible and the necessity arises to look for
other measuring methods. One of the possibilities to deter:nine the tank dirnensions
necessary for preparing calibration tables lies in the use of photogrammetric tools.
' ['his paper discusses a calibration method based on the evaluation of single
photo-graphs. The approach to the evaluation of the photographs is rather unusual, it
is not concerned with orientation problexns and uses distances rneasured on the
object as control data. The paper presents the derivation of all needed for:nulas, a
brief accuracy analysis and illustrates thc method by results taken fronl practice.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND
EASUREMF.NTS
The tank is photographed from a number of stations scattered around its circum-
ference. Photography distance varies according to the size of the tank. Generally two
conditions are imposed on its choice, naniely that it has to provide a large-scale
photograph and ensure that the whole tank will appear on the picutre. 'l'he calnera axis is
usually horizontal, but in certain occasions where high tanks are photographed, a tilted
photograph ruay be needed. 'I'he arrangclnent of the photographic procedure is
presented schernatically in Figure l. The nunmber of photographs required for the
261
262 PIIO'I'OGRAMME'I'RIC ENGINEERING, 1971

evaluation of the tank dimensions depends on the size of the tank. For large
tanks (diameter of about 50 meters), 10 to 12 photographs are recommended.
The sequence of measurements taken on the negatives is illustrated by the
Figure 2.
The pair of points a, b on the figure defines a chord of a circle which represents the
horizontal cross section of the tank at the level h above the bottom of the tank. 'l'he
points a, b are related to the image reference system and their coordinates are
measured on a cornparator. Because it is required to determine dimensions of hori-
zontal tank sections, the points a, b are chosen at equal distances from the hori-zontal
weld. On each photograph chords at different levels along the entire tank are
measured, usually three chords per tank course are required.
The photograph stations are chosen arbitrarily, no special Ineasurements to es-

ABSTRACT : The paper discusses a method of determining dimensions of

vertical, cylindrical storage tanks based on the evaluation of a series of single
photo-graphs. The accuracy of the tank dimensions provided by the proposed
procedure matches the standards required by tank calibration. This is shown
theoretically and is also verified by practical tests.

tablish these stations are made. As a result the scales of the negatives are not uni-
form. This fact gives rise to the question as to how to choose the chord defining
points so that they would represent the same horizontal section on all negatives. In
order to answer this question one has to consider the height of the respective course
measured on the negatives.
For deriving the dimensions of the tank from the inlage data it is necessary to
measure at least two circutnferences directly on the tank, one on the bottom
course and the other on the top course. Actually it is advisable to measure on the
bottom course several circumferences in order to obtain more reliable information
on the negative scales. The measured circumferences serve as control data so
characteristic of the photogrammetric measuring process.

A 1-70

FIG. 2. The projection of a cylindrical tank

FIG. 1. A schematic representation showing the where the camera is tilted; it is valid to assume
arrangelnent of the photographs about the tank. that the tank is tilted instead of the camera.
 CALIBRATION OF STORAGE TANKS

COMPUTATIONS
The aim of the computation is to obtain the radius of each measured chord at
the scale of the tank.
Figure 2 shows a cy'lindrical tank and its projection on the i:nage plane. The
photographic axis deviates froin the perpendicular to the tank axis by the angle
w. As only the relative position between the photograph and the object is
significant, it can be assumed that the camera axis is horizontal and the tank is
tilted at the respective angle.
The angle ß included between the rays which form the image of the chord S
is derived from the scalar product of the vectors ra,rb:
— ra•rb/l rallrbl.

The letter v in Figure 2 denotes the vertical angle at which the chord is seen from
the projection center; it is determined from the expression :

COS t' =

The cosines of ß and v have to be expressed by the measured image coordinates.

In the image reference systern the vec tors ra,rb are defined as:
(3)
Ybj ¯
With the angles ß and v it is possible to determine the angle a, which is the projection of
ß on a plane defined by the camera axis and the x-axis of the image system. For

this purpose consider the spherical triangle of Figure 3.

From Figure 3,
tan a/ 2 = (tan ß/2)/cos v. (4)
Formula 3.4 yields an expression for sin a/ 2 to be used latter on :
sin a/ 2 = v/ (t — cos ß)/(l
cos
[1 — cos (5)
4- (1 -k cos B) cosh].
The chord Sat the scale of the tank at level h is given by:
— (2R cos cot2 a/ 2). (6)
cot a/ 2)/ V (1 + cos2 (.0
On the other hand S can be expressed by:
a
coso 2

S = 2 L + sin w — R cos — tan —

2
In the above fonnulas the following variables are in troduced:
L—horizontal distance from projection center to lower end of tank axis, R—
radius of the section at the level h which corresponds to the chord S, and O—
central angle corresponding to S.
Combining the two Expressions 6 and 7, and performing siluple transformations, yields a formula for the radius R:

R — (I. 4- h cos
a/ 2 + cos2 a/ 2 cos2 w)/cos w. (8) Formula 8

includes two unknows, L and w. Both are found by applying the formula
264 PHO'I'OGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING, 1971

to the tneasured control circurnferences. Froni the circunlference measured on the

bottoni course we compute the corresponding radius Ro. Substituting Ro into the left
hand side of Equation 8, L gnay be solved in tertns of the unknown w. Inserting L
again in Fortnula 8 yields the final expression for determining the radius R
correspond-ing to the chord at the level h:
R= -F .t sin2 a/ 2)/ (t +
+ X sin2
+
'l'he index O refers to the quantities derived frotn the lower control circumference
and X is defined by X = tan2w.
To cornplete the Transformation of 9 into a working formula, it is necessary to
deter:nine the unknown X. This is accomplished by applying the above formula
to the upper con trol circumference, whose radius Rn is known :
=
+ X sin2 + sin2 ao/2)]
+H(VX) sin (an/2) +X sin2 +
II in For•nula 10 is the vertical distance
between the two cross sections whose cir-
cutnferences were measured on the tank.
Because of the intricate forin of Equation
10, it is necessary to solve the unknown
X bv iterations.
The determination of X colnpletes the
solution. Sin a/ 2, which correlates with a
certain chord tneasured on thc negative,
is found fronl Fortnula 5 which in turn
uses the Expressions 1, 2, 3. X, together
with sina/2, enter the Forlnula 9 for de-
riving the radius R. The quantities h in
the Fortnula 9 is obtained frotn the known
course heights of the tank.
Along thc lines described above all radii
corresponding to the various cross sec-
tions are calculated.
section is mea- 3. .SphericaI trigonometry is applied for the
sured on n negatives, hence n different evaluation of angle ß which is the projection of
values of R arc found. 'I'he rnean of all angle a into the plane determined by the camera
deternuinations represents the circle of axis and the x-axis of thc photograph.
the cross section in question. As stated
above, on the bottoni course several control circutnferences Inay be tneasured;
con-sequently several solutions are obtained. They differ frotn each other due to
errors in thc tncasureunents and due to s:nall irregularities of the tank. The final
radii which define the tank dimensions are the averages of the various solutions.
ACCURACY CONSIDERATIONS
In the Inajority of applications the camera axis is nearly horizontal and the angle
o.' is stnall. Therefore for accuracy investigation purposes it is allowable to use
an approxitnate formula for the deterrnination of the radius R:
R = Ro sin 9/'sin 80 4- h tan a sin 9.
Applying Equation 11 to the upper control circutnference, tan a.' can be
elililinated; this vields:
R = Ro(sin 6/ sin — h/' H) + Ru(h/H) sin 9/sin 011.
 CALIBRATION OF STORAGE TANKS
With a fairly good approxilnation it can be assutned that :
tan 9 =
sin 9 = Ax;" V (4f2 + A.I.•2).
Inserting Equation 13 into 12 yields:

+ + + A.t2)l

We proceed now to exaniine how the various error sources affect the solved value R. O.
ERROR IN R DüF. TO IMPROPER LOCATION OF THE CROSS SECTION ON THE PHOTO-
GRAPH
From Equation 11 follows:

öR/öh = tan
ma = tan
Generally, sin 9<0.5 and tan 0<0.1, hence
mu < 0.()5 Din.
b. ERROR IN R DUE •ro THE ERROR IN T'IE FOCAL LENGTH
For error propagation analysis the following assumptions can be Inade:

These assumptions are valid for cylindrical tanks only, because the variations in
the measured x coordinates are due to the irregularities in construction work and
due to varying thickness of the plates, and are therefore negligible. It can be easily
shown that in this case the errors in focal length do not affect the accuracy of the
computed radius.
C. ERROR IN RADIUS DUE TO ERRORS IN MEASURING THE COORDINATES OF THE CHORD
DEFINING POINTS
Obviously, the Ineasuring accuracy of the coordinates of the chord defining points
can be assumed as unifortn regardless of the location of the chord on the photograph.
With this assurnption, Fortnulas 14 and 17 yield the following expression for me:

=
The term 11) +
ference. As - 2'2[1 +
lected, hence: in the Formula 18 denotes the error in the Ineasured coordinates dif-
the numerator term that depends on this ratio can be neg-

- + (d/'f)2J.
Sununarizing the results of the accuracy analysis, it can be stated that the error in
the convuted radius depends 'nostly on the measuring procedure of the itnage co-
ordinates.
• l'he order of Inagnitude of the obtainable accuracy can be illustrated by the follow-
ing exa:nple taken fro:n practice : f = 165 nun. , d = 55 nun. , R = 25
and max = 0.01 nun.
Inserting these data into Equation 19 yields not = R/ 7,000. This result is valid for
each determined radius. For the deternlination of the radius of the cross section,
N photographs are evaluated and the final radius is the tnean of the n derived
values, hence the error in R decreases according to the ratio
1 / Vn
: ma = R/ (7 ,000Vn).
266 PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING, 1971

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
A cylindrical tank with a radius of approximately 25 meters was photographed
from 9 stations located around its circumference from a distance of about 40 meters.
The photographs were taken with a Wild phototheodolite, f— 165 nun. , the caniera
axis was nearly horizontal (levelling accuracy). For comparison purposes the tank
was photographed frorn one station with a tilted camera, the tilt being 7 grads
upwards. On each negative a sequence of measurements was made according to the
scheme on Figure 2.
One day before the photographic procedure the tank was calibrated by the com-
mon strapping method and all circumferences were nneasured directly with a special
calibration tape. 'l'hree measured circumferences on the lower tank course and one
on the upper were used as control data, the relnaining served for accuracy
estilnation purposes. After processing the rneasured data, 16 differences were
obtained between the photogrammetric and the direct-tneasured circ.tnnferences.
Assuming that the direct measurements are superior from the point of view of
accuracy the above differ-ences can be regarded as errors originating frorn thc
photogra:nmetric measurements and as such can be used for evaluating an accuracy
estitnate of the photogrammetric measuring process.
The mean-square error in determining a circuunference of a cross section of the
tank from the data measured on the photographs as calculated from the 16
differences was 10 mm. ' ['he expected mean-square error which follows from the
above accuracy analysis can be conmputed from Formula 19. Inserting the relevant
data into this fortnula and considering the fact that the final radius of a cross section
is an average of nine deternlinations, 2mmR=8 nun. 'l'his figure is in good agreement
with that ob-tained from the practical test.
The evaluation of the tilted photographs has shown that the accuracy of the
coun-puted radii is essentially the sanie as for the horizontal photographs.

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