– Tractor trailers that transport liquid are cylinders, soda cans, water bottles etc. Why are most liquids transported in cylindrical vessels instead of square or rectangular?
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Spherical container is the best container for fluids (gas or liquid) as it deform the least in case of pressure changes.
Manufacturing spherical containers is a pain. Is done when conditions are extreme, like very high pressure or very high risk environment.
A cylinder is a very nice trade off, you need to reinforce the two ends, but the round part is very sturdy just because is round.
This advantage allows to benefit of one or more of the following: save material, save manufacturing cost, save design costs, extra strength of the container, reliability, resilience.
Downsides: squared stuff can be packed together with no air gaps, saving space. Cylinders can’t be packed together without having gaps and therefore wasting space.
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