Description
A compact self-contained bench mounting apparatus designed to allow students at all academic levels to investigate basic and advanced principles of open and closed-loop control of flow rate and liquid level in single and dual tank systems.
The Coupled Tanks Apparatus investigates basic and advanced control engineering principles. This includes the study of static and dynamic systems. It is also an ideal system to use with other control strategies such as fuzzy logic.
The CE105 shows fluid transport and liquid level control problems in process control.
The basic control problem is to regulate the liquid level in one of the tanks by varying the speed of the circulating pump. The user guide includes experiments that cover system modeling using static and transient measurements, steady-state error analysis, transient response studies and Ziegler/Nichols tuning methods.
Each tank has a level sensor that gives output signals proportional to the water level in each tank. A scale on each tank allows students to check the level-sensor calibration.
A variable-speed pump forces water into the left-hand tank. A valve connects this tank to a second tank, if needed, for two-tank experiments. A rotameter-type flow meter shows the flow rate. An electronic flow meter measures the flow rate.
Key features:
- Self-contained and compact bench-mounting unit that mimics a real industrial process
- Option for second pump with second flow meter to allow multi-variable (MV) operation (CE105MV)
- Level control of one and two tanks
- Front panel includes mimic diagram of the process so students can see what they are controlling
- All inputs and outputs buffered for connection to TecQuipment’s optional controllers or other suitable controllers
- Includes rotameter-type flow meter so students can see the flow rate
Learning Outcomes:
- Calibration of transducer and actuator circuits
- System dynamics in process systems
- Design and operation of analogue proportional, proportional integral, or proportional integral differential control controllers
- Steady-state errors and closed-loop transient responses
- Ziegler/Nichols controllers tuning rules
- Multivariable control
- Step-change tuning
- State feedback
- Flow control
