Fluid System Building Blocks

• Basic Modeling Elements

– Resistance
– Capacitance
– Inertance
– Pressure and Flow Sources

• Interconnection Relationships
– Compatibility Law
– Continuity Law

Thermal System Building Blocks

 Fluid System Building Blocks
In fluid systems there are three basic building blocks:
Resistance, capacitance and inertance
Fluid systems can be considered to fall into two categories:
Hydraulic: the fluid is liquid (assume to be incompressible)
Pneumatic: it is a gas and can be compressed and shows a density change

Figure 10.13 Hydraulic examples: (a) resistance, (b) capacitance, (c) inertance
Hydraulic Fluid system Building Blocks
• Fluid Resistance
Describes any physical element Ex: The flow that goes through an orifice or a
with the characteristic that the valve and the turbulent flow that goes
pressure drop, ∆p , across the through a pipe is related to the pressure
element is proportional to the drop by
q = k p12
volume flow rate, q.
Find the effective flow resistance of the
p1 + ∆p − p2 + ∆p − element at certain operating point ( q , p12 ).
p1 p2
q
q
R R q q

∆p = p1 − p2 = p12 = R ⋅ q
1 1 p12
p12
q = ∆p = p12
R R
1 dq k
= =
– Orifices, valves, nozzles and R d p12 ( q , p ) 2 p12
friction in pipes can be 12

modeled as fluid resistors. 2 p12 2q

R = = 2
k k
Hydraulic Fluid system Building Blocks
• Fluid Capacitance
Ex: Consider an open tank with a constant
Describes any physical element cross-sectional area, A:
with the characteristic that the
rate of change in pressure, p, in pr
the element is proportional to the ρ gh h
difference between the input flow
pC
rate, qIN , and the output flow rate, qIN qOUT
qOUT . p ref + pCr −
pC pC = ρ gh + p r ⇒ pCr = ρ gh
qIN qOUT d d
qIN - qOUT
C qIN − qOUT = (Volum ) = ( Ah ) = Ah&
C dt dt
d p&Cr = ρ gh&
C pC − pref = C ⋅ p& Cr = q IN − qOUT q IN − qOUT Ah& A
dt 14243 ⇒ C= = =
pCr p& Cr ρ gh& ρ g

– Hydraulic cylinder chambers,

tanks, and accumulators are It describe the energy storage with a
examples of fluid capacitors. liquid in the form of potential energy
Hydraulic Fluid Capacitance Examples
Ex: Will the effective capacitance change if in the previous
open tank example, a load mass M is floating on top of the tank?

pr
M

h
pC
qIN qOUT

pC = ρ g h + p r + M g ⇒ p = ρ gh + Mg
A Cr A
qIN − qOUT = d d
(Volum ) = ( Ah ) = Ah&
dt dt
p&Cr = ρ gh&
q IN − qOUT Ah& A
⇒ C= = =
p& Cr ρ gh& ρ g
Hydraulic Fluid system Building Blocks
• Fluid Inertance (Inductance)
Describes any physical element with the Ex: Consider a section of pipe with cross-
characteristic that the pressure drop, ∆p , sectional area A and length L, filled
across the element is proportional to the with fluid whose density is ρ :
rate of change of the flow rate, q. F1 = Ap1 p1 + ∆p − p2 F2 = Ap2
F1 = Ap1
p1 + ∆p − p2 + ∆p − q
p1 p2 A
q L
I q
I Start with force balance: F = ma
∆p = p12 = ( p1 − p2 ) = I
d
dt
q = I ⋅ q& ∑ F = F1 − F2 = A ( p1 − p2 ) = Ap12
Long pipes are examples of fluid m = ρ LA
dv d q
inertances. Ap
{ 12 = ρ AL
{ dt = ρ AL  
It is concerned with fluid mass { dt  A
∑F m

acceleration ρ L dq a
p12 =
{A dt
I
ρL
⇒ I=
A
I is the hydraulic inertance
Pneumatic Fluid system Building Blocks
• Pneumatic has the same three basic building
blocks with hydraulic systems.
• Gases differ from liquids in being
compressible i.e. change in pressure causes
change in volume and hence density:
• The basic blocks are:
• Pneumatic Resistance,
• Pneumatic capacitance, &
• Pneumatic Inertance
Pneumatic Fluid system Building Blocks

• Pneumatic Resistance:
• It is defined in terms of
the mass rate of flow

dm
P1 − P2 = R = Rm•
dt

m: mass of the gas; P1-P2: pressure difference; R: resistance

Pneumatic Fluid system Building Blocks

• Pneumatic capacitance C: is due to compressibility

of the gas in some volume
Rate of change of mass inside the container is:
Pneumatic Fluid system Building Blocks
Pneumatic Fluid system Building Blocks

• Pneumatic inertance: is due to the pressure drop

necessary to accelerate a block of gas
Table 10.3 Hydraulic and pneumatic building blocks
 Fluid system Building Blocks
Voltage Source
• Pressure Source (Pump)
– An ideal pressure source of a − pS +
p1 p2
hydraulic system is capable of
pS
maintaining the desired pressure, q
regardless of the flow required for
what it is driving. p21 = p2 − p1 = pS

• Flow Source (Pump) Current Source

– An ideal flow source is capable of p1 p2
delivering the desired flow rate, qS
q
regardless of the pressure
required to drive the load. q = qS
 Building up a model for a fluid system
Example1
For the shown simple hydraulic system derive an
expression for the height of the fluid in the container.
Consider the system consist of a capacitor, the liquid in
the container, with a resistor and a valve

Figure 10.14 A fluid system

Solution:
Building up a model for a fluid system
Example2:
For the shown hydraulic system derive expression
for the fluid level in the two containers

Figure 10.16 A fluid system

Solution2:
 Model for a fluid system Example3:

Figure 10.15 A pneumatic system

Model for a fluid system Example3:
Variables
• q : volumetric flow rate [m3/sec] ( current )
• V: volume [m3] ( charge )
• p : pressure [N/m2] ( voltage )

The analogy between the hydraulic system and the electrical system will be used
often. Just as in electrical systems, the flow rate (current) is defined to be the
time rate of change (derivative) of volume (charge):
d
q = V = V&
dt
The pressure, p, used in this chapter is the absolute pressure. You need to be
careful in determining whether the pressure is the absolute pressure or gauge
pressure, p*. Gauge pressure is the difference between the absolute pressure and
the atmospheric pressure, i.e.
p * = p − patmospheric
 Interconnection Laws
• Compatibility Law • Continuity Law
– The sum of the pressure drops – The algebraic sum of the flow rates
around a loop must be zero. at any junction in the loop is zero.
– Similar to the Kirchhoff’s voltage – This is the consequence of the
law. conservation of mass.
– Similar to the Kirchhoff’s current
∑ ∆p j = ∑p ij =0
law.
∑ qj = 0
Closed Closed
Loop Loop
A ny
N ode
p1 p2
B or ∑ q IN = ∑ qOUT

A C q1 q2

pr
q1 + q 2 = q o
p r 1 + p1 2 + p 2 r = 0 qo
Thermal System building Blocks
• Two basic building blocks: Resistance & capacitance
• The Thermal Resistance: is defined by the relation
q: rate of heat flow
T2-T1: Temperature difference
R: Thermal resistance

The value of R depends on the mode of heat transfer

Conduction Mode:
K: thermal conductivity of the material through which conduction is taken place
L: length of the material

Convection Mode: in liquid and gasses

A: is the surface area across which there is temperature difference;
h: coefficient of heat transfer
 Thermal System building Blocks
• Thermal capacitance: is a measure of the store of
internal energy in a system. It is defined by the
following equation

q1- q 2 : rate of change of internal energy

C=cm is the thermal capacitance, m is the mass and c is the specific heat capacity

q1
q2
Table 10.4 Thermal building blocks
Building up a Model for a Thermal system

Figure 10.17 A thermal system

 Thermal System: Example

Figure 10.18 Thermal system

Thermal System: Example cont…
Table 10.5 System elements