Vessel Sizing Calculator
Know how much gas you need to store? Find the size of cylinder, tube or tube trailer to look for.
- 1Enter how much gas you need, in SCF.
- 2Pick the gas.
- 3Enter the fill pressure in PSIG, then press Calculate.
How it works
The answer is the water volume (internal volume) the vessel needs — the number printed on cylinders and on tube trailer data plates. It uses the same real-gas formula as the capacity calculator — compressibility (Z) from NIST reference data, at 70°F and 14.696 psia. The figure is always rounded up, never to the nearest unit, so it's a safe minimum rather than an average — actual vessels come in fixed sizes, so treat this as the floor to shop from, not an exact spec to match. Leave some margin: vessels are rarely filled to the last PSI in practice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions
Why does this tool round up instead of to the nearest size?
Because the answer is a "buy at least this much" figure. Rounding to the nearest number can land slightly under what's actually required, which is the expensive direction to be wrong in when you're sizing equipment to buy. Rounding up guarantees the number shown is never smaller than what you actually need.
How is this different from the cylinder & tube capacity calculator?
They answer opposite questions. Cylinder & Tube Capacity starts from a vessel's water volume and tells you how much gas it holds. Vessel Sizing starts from how much gas you need and tells you what water volume to shop for. Use whichever direction matches the question you're actually asking.
Should I buy the exact size this tool recommends?
Treat it as a floor, not a target. Real vessels come in fixed manufactured sizes, so you'll typically round up again to the nearest size your supplier actually stocks. It's also worth leaving some margin — vessels are rarely filled to the very last PSI in practice.
What if I need more gas than one cylinder can hold?
If the water volume this tool returns is larger than any single cylinder your supplier offers, you're likely looking at a tube, a tube trailer, or multiple cylinders manifolded together instead of one vessel.
Need help finding the right equipment?
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