HYPERBOLA

SAM PUNZALAN
PROBLEM

Some nuclear power plants utilize “natural draft” cooling

towers in the shape of a hyperboloid, a solid obtained by
rotating a hyperbola about its conjugate axis.

Suppose that such a cooling tower has a base diameter of

400 feet and the diameter at its narrowest point, 360 feet
above the ground, is 200 feet. If the diameter at the top of
the tower is 300 feet, how tall is the tower?
SOLUTION

The cross section of the tower can be

modeled by a hyperbola with its vertex
at (x, y) = (100, 360) and its center at (0,
360). The point (x, y) = (200, 0) helps
define the equation of it.

Basic form: ((x -h)/a)²-((y -k)/b)² = 1

SOLUTION
Filling in (h, k) = (0, 360) and a=100, we can find b using the given point:

(200/100)²-((0-360)/b)² = 1

Rearrange and simplify:

(360/b)² = 3

b² = 360²/3 = 43200

So, the equation of the hyperbola is:

x²/10000 - (y-360)²/43200 = 1
SOLUTION

Then for x = 150 (the distance from center at the top, we can find y to
be:

(150/100)²-(y -360)²/43200 = 1

1.25 = (y -360)²/43200

y = 360 +√(1.25·43200) ≈ 592.379

ANSWER

The height of the tower is

about 592.4 feet.
GRAPH