Coupled Tank
Coupled Tank
Coupled Tank
1. Aim: To design a Proportional and Integral Controller for the Coupled-Tank Plant set-up. 2. Apparatus:
The coupled tank apparatus consists of a transparent plexi glass container measuring (20 cm long, 10 cm wide and 30 cm high). A centre partition is used to divide the container into two tanks. Flow between the two tanks is by means of a series of holes drilled at the base of the partition. Refer fig1. Water is pumped from one reservoir into the first tank by a variable speed pump, which is driven by an electric motor. The actual flow rate (qi) is measured by a flow meter, which is in the flow line between the pump and tank 1. qi
h1
q1
h2
q2
Fig 1: Schematic of the Coupled Tank Apparatus The level of the fluid is measured using parallel track level sensors, which are stationed in tank1 and tank2. This device performs as an electrical resistance, which varies with the water level.
The changes in resistance are detected and provide an electrical signal, which is proportional to the height of water. The water, which flows into tank 2, is allowed to drain out via an adjustable tap, and the entire assembly is mounted in a large tray, which forms the supply reservoir for the pump. The motor drive and level sensor signal processing is performed inside the instrumentation box, such that the pump motor may be driven by a voltage between zero and ten volts applied to the pump socket. Correspondingly the level sensor outputs are provided as a voltage in the range zero to -10 volts. The level sensing system is prone to extraneous disturbance; filters are provided which may be switched in and out of the circuit as required. The pump motor drive is normally derived from an analog or digital computer, however for demonstration purposes an internal drive is supplied. This is marked on the instrumentation box front panel and should normally be switched out of the circuit.
3. Modeling:
Consider the basic coupled tank apparatus, as described in fig 1. Taking flow balances about each tank may derive the dynamical equations of the system. For the first tank we have dV1 dH Qi Q1 = rate of change of fluid volume in tank 1 = =A 1 (1.1) dt dt where V1 = the volume of fluid in tank 1 H1 = height of the fluid in tank 1 A = Cross sectional area of tank 1 and tank 2 Q1 = flow rate of fluid from tank 1 to tank 2 Qi = pump flow rate For the second tank: Q1 Q0 = rate of change of fluid volume in tank 2 = Where V2 = the volume of the fluid in tank 2 H2 = height of the fluid in tank 2 Q0 = flow rate of fluid out of tank 2 If the inter-tank holes and the drain tap are assumed to behave like orifices, then the following equations follow from the characteristic relations for orifices: Q1 = C d1 a1 2 g ( H 1 H 2 ) (1.3) Q0 = C d 2 a 2 2 g ( H 2 H 3 ) where : a1 = cross sectional area of orifice 1 a2 = cross sectional area of orifice 2 C d1 , C d 2 = discharge coefficient ( = 0.6 for a sharp edged orifice ) (1.4)
dV2 dH 2 =A dt dt
(1.2)
H3 = height of the drain tap g = gravitational constant Equations 1.1 to 1.4 describe the system dynamics in its true nonlinear form. For control system studies it will be necessary to linearize the equations by considering small variations qi in Qi, q1 in Q1, q0 in Q0, h1 in H1 and h2 in H2, all measured about some mean level H2
(1.5)
(1.6)
q1 =
h h2 Q1 Q1 1 h1 + h2 = C d1 a1 2 g 1 2 H 1 H 2 H1 H 2
(1.7)
And h2 H2 H3 Substituting equations 1.7 and 1.8 into 1.5 and 1.6 gives q0 =
qi K1 (h1 h2 ) = A dh1 dt dh2 dt
Q0 1 h2 = CD2 a2 2 g 2 H 2
(1.8)
(1.9)
k1 (h1 h2 ) k2 h2 = A
Cd1 a1 2 g 2 H1 H 2 Cd1 a2 2 g 2 H 2 H3
(1.10)
where
k1 =
(1.11)
k2 =
(1.12)
Rearranging equation sets 1.9and 1.10 produces the following state space model of the coupled tanks: k1 k1 & h1 A A h1 1 A + q & = (k1 + k2 ) h2 0 i h2 k1 A A
(1.13)
By taking the Laplace transform of eq 1.13 the following transfer function is obtained:
(1.14)
where the time constants T1 and T2 are related to k1, k2 and A by:
2 T1T2 = A
k1k2
, T1 + T2 =
A(2k1 + k2 ) k1k2
(1.15)
The transfer function of the coupled tank including the dynamics of the motor and the sensor was identified used System Identification Techniques. In this method, a Pseudo Random Binary Signal (PRBS) is generated externally and given as input to the system and the corresponding output is recorded. PRBS is used, since it excites all the modes of the system and hence assists in estimating a more accurate Using the input and output data, the second order transfer function is computed using System identification toolbox in Matlab. The input to the system is Input voltage to the motor and output is the level of water in the second tank. G ( s) = 0.00082816 s + 0.1141727 s + 0.00055707
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