UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE OCCIDENTE

Faculty of Engineering
Dynamic Systems - Pressure Plant
III Period of 2019

Development of transfer function of a pressure plant with electronically controlled

inlet valve.

C.A Arias, C.A manquillo, C.A Rodriguez, J.P Marmolejo, J.D Girón, S González.
1, 2 Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali Colombia

Resumen.
This document describes the procedure to find a mathematical model that represents an electrohydraulic system.
Several data captures were made varying the opening of a hydraulic valve controlled by a voltage, resulting in
several graphs representative of the transfer function of our system. The experimental and theoretical findings are
shown by checking their similarity through software simulations (LabView and Matlab). For the theoretical cal-
culation of the transfer function it was necessary to find the volume of the tank and then fill it to a certain pressure,
and taking the emptying time with the outlet valve in a fixed position, in order to find the resistance of the tank
and proceed to the experimental and theoretical verification of our data

Keywords: Plant, Pressure, Calculation, experimental, Theoretical

Introducción

Automatic controls have an increasingly important in-

tervention in daily life, from the simplest ones like
those of a toaster, to the most complicated ones such as
airplanes and space vehicles. At present, in the indus-
tries it is increasingly necessary to have control systems
such as temperature, viscosity, among other parameters
necessary to obtain an excellent final product or ser-
vice, to know the variables such as flow, to improve and
improve a large number of processes beneficial to the
industry. Initially, from experimental tests, we will find
a mathematical model which we will compare with the Fig. 1. Experimental assembly circuit.
affected theorists.
Initially, for our pressure plant, a data collection was
carried out, varying the quantity and magnitude of the
Methodology input step signal, resulting in a series of graphs with two
curves (simulation and theoretical) almost identical that
The assembly of the circuit given in the laboratory was Screen the system transfer function.
carried out specifying which were the ports of the input Implements:
and output signals, being configured with the LabView
tool, the pressure supplied to the system (120 Psi) was
also verified and the output was left of this fixed, regu-
lated by a valve, the relevant connections shown in fig-
ure 1 were made:
Fig 2. Electronic inlet valve and manual outlet valve.

1
 Pressure Plant

plant installation
General data of the Plant
P = 78.5 cm (Perimeter of the tank)
L = 54 cm (Tank length)
D = tank diameter.
P=𝜋𝐷
𝜋 78.5
𝐷= = = 25 𝑐𝑚
𝑃 𝜋
𝐶 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
25 2
Fig. 3. Pressure plant connection - Data acquisition card. 𝐶 = 𝜋 ∗ 𝑟 2 ∗ 𝐿 = (𝜋) ∗ ( ) (54) = 26 𝑐𝑚3 = 26.5 𝐿
2
In accordance with the material supplied by the labora-
tory team, the connections between the pressure plant
and data acquisition card were made as shown in figure
2. This, connected to the computer and allows us to ob-
tain a sample of a physical variable (pressure) by means
of a sensor, and transform it to be recognized and reg- Fig 5. Graphic representation of the pressure plant.
istered by the computer and operated with a specific Qin = Input flow; R = resistance of the inlet valve.
software (LabView). QL = Outflow; R1 = Resistance of the outlet valve
(electro-mechanical).
P = pressure in the tank.
𝑃
𝑄𝐿 =
𝑅1
𝑑𝑝
𝐶 = 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝑄𝐿
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑝 𝑃
𝐶 = 𝑄𝑖𝑛 −
𝑑𝑡 𝑅1
𝑑𝑝 𝑃
𝐶 + = 𝑄𝑖𝑛
𝑑𝑡 𝑅1
𝐶𝑆𝑃(𝑠) 𝑃(𝑠)
Fig. 4. Block diagram of the Labview interface for the pressure + = 𝑄𝑖𝑛(𝑠)
plant.
1 𝑅1
𝑷(𝒔) 𝑹𝟏
The LabView file was configured according to the con- =
𝑸𝒊𝒏 (𝒔) 𝑹𝟏𝑪𝑺 + 𝟏
nections made with respect to figure 2, where in the pro- 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (𝟏)
gram we indicate the input ports (AO0, GND) and the
output ports (A10, GND) as seen in figure 3. Simulation results:

Results and Analysis.

After making the relevant connections and the different

configurations in the equipment, the different data col-
lection is carried out in order to obtain the mathematical
model in an experimental way and what is sought with
this is to compare the experimental model with the the-
Fig 6. Test 1 variation of the inlet valve with values of (1.2-1.8-
oretical model and de-finish the error between these 1.2-1.8 in volts)) white-experimental, red-theoretical
two models.

2
 Pressure Plant

Table No.1

Variation of the resistance of the outlet valve in the tests with

respect to the emptying time of the tank.
Volume (pulg^3) 1617.56
Fig 7. Transfer function for test 1
Pressure (psi) emptying Flow (pulg^3/2) valve resistance
time (s) (R1)
33.1 40 40.439 0.818516778
22.1 34 47.57529412 0.464526818
25 37 43.71783784 0.571848958
27 39 41.47589744 0.650980489
The closets to the experimental value is the one calcu-
lated with the tank full under the average pressure of
the tests (1 and 2) which is 25 psi.
Fig 8. Test 2 variation of the inlet valve with values of (1.0-1.5-
2.0-1.5-1.0 in volts) white-experimental, red-theoretical. To check the capacity of the tank it is known that the
𝑷(𝒔) 𝑹𝟏
equation 1 𝑸𝒊𝒏 (𝒔) = 𝑹𝟏𝑪𝑺+𝟏 and taking into account the
approximate value of the resistance of the outlet valve
R1 of the graphs (6 and 8), the capacity of the tank is
known as follows.

Fig 9. Transfer function for test 2. Table No. 2

Data check
Checking the capacity of the tank (C) by means of the transfer
functions thrown by the program
To know if the theoretical and experimental transfer
R1 R1*C C (L)
function are equal or close, it is necessary to replace TEST 1 0.481642 8.88343 18.44
the values of the resistance of the outlet valve (R1) TEST 2 0.506147 13.6528 26.97
and the capacity of the tank (C).

Outlet Valve (R1): With which it can be determined that the most approx-
imate test and covering the entire pressure pan model is
𝑉 test No.2 since the capacity of the experimental tank is
𝑄𝐿 = very close to the capacity of the calculated tank (C ).
∆𝑡
𝑃
𝑅1 =
𝑄𝐿 𝐶𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 −𝐶𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 % = | 𝐶𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
| ∗ 100% =
26.5−26.97
Therefore, the tests consisted of filling the tank up to | 26.5 | ∗ 100% = 1.5 %
certain pressures with the outlet valve completely
closed in which the valve was subsequently released
Checking the transfer function using the MatLab
until the tank emptied or reached a pressure of 0 psi
tool:

The data used in the MatLab program were those of

test 2, which was the closest to the capacity of the tank
and the resistance of the R1 outlet valve.

3
 Pressure Plant

dp P 1
[ ] = [− ] [P] + [ ] Qin
dt CR1 C

Conclusions:

It is possible to understand that for the collection of data

Fig. 10. Input and output signals in the MatLab program.
Fig 11. Graph of the calculated and simulated model in the
MatLab program.
it is necessary to cover the greatest possible amount of
data, that is, in the case of the pressure plant to obtain a
correct and approximate model of the transfer function
it is necessary to vary considerably unfortunately the
voltage of the inlet valve, otherwise if the voltage vari-
ability is very low the system tends to have a much
greater error.
The importance of obtaining a correct transfer function
of the pressure plant is known since with it you can ob-
tain data that is not easily obtained, which is demon-
strated in the resistance of the outlet valve since being
not manual There is a catalog with which the resistance
offered by the valve to the fluid can be determined.
The error found (1.5%) with respect to the manual type
outlet valve is due to the fact that at the time of empty-
ing the operator has to make several turns to the butter-
fly to open it at the distance of the tests which causes a
error since the opening is not immediately.
It is understood that with the error of (82.81) deter-
mined the MatLab LabVew, both theoretical and exper-
imental models were achieved very close, so it can be
affirmed that the model was covered in a correct way
and the tests they were the right ones.

Fig 12. Error calculated in the MatLab program with respect to the References:
theoretical and experimental model.
 TERMOSISTEMAS (válvulas de expansión elec-
Status Variables: trónicas carel); http://www.termosiste-
mas.com.ar/sitio/vernota.php?nota=251
Given that only one tank was used for the pressure  Formato IEE-universidadECCI- https://ieeeuni-
plant, the state variables are defined based on this. For
versiddecci.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/plan-
what you have:
𝑑𝑝 tilla-formato-documento-ieee-articulo-doc-
𝐶 = 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝑄𝐿 espanol/
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑝 𝑃  Libro: Ingeniería de control moderna- mode-
𝐶 = 𝑄𝑖𝑛 −
𝑑𝑡 𝑅1 lado matemático de sistemas neumáticos; Ca-
pitulo 4; Pag.101- Katsuhiko Ogata.
𝑑𝑝 𝑄𝑖𝑛 𝑃
= −  Fig 2. Valvula independiente de presión elec-
𝑑𝑡 𝐶 𝐶𝑅1
trónica y valvula manual;
Therefore the matrix in terms of state variables is con- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCx9tdY
structed as follows. bWfI