From a mass balance, in deviation variables we have:

ρ ρ (1)

As the control valve is now connected to a PI controller, the output flow Fo will be calculated
as follows (by a simple feedback PI algorithm):

, ∗ ∗ (2)

Now, the term , , then we get:

∗ ∗ (3)

Where

Kc is the controller gain.

τI is the integral time

e(t) is the error on the controlled variable.

Fo,ee is a bias denoted as the value for Fo at the steady state

Using the above information, and under the assumption of constant density, we have
(replacing 3 in 1)

∗ ∗ ! (4)

Furthermore, the error is calculated as "#$ " , where Lsp is the setpoint for the
level controller. Replacing this in (4) we have:

∗" ∗ " ! (5)

For this example, the controller gain should be negative (we will see how to calculate this sign
in Unit 3). Therefore:

∗" − ∗ " (6)

Taking the Laplace transform

&
% " % = % − ∗" % − ∗#" % (7)

Re-arranging

" % %+ + != % (8)
#

' #( ) #)
" % != % (9)
#

#
" % =' ∗ % (10)
#( ) #)

The term multiplying Fi’ is the transfer function.

Remember that a second order system has a transfer function of the form:

* % =
+
( #( ),- (11)
#)&

Re-arranging 10 for obtaining a transfer function of the form given in 11 (dividing by Kc), we
have
/ 0
. 2
" % = 3/ 0( 1 ∗ % (12)
) #)&
1

By analogy between 11 and 12 we have

'
4, = ; (13)

274 = 48 (14)

From 14, we can see that the damping factor (factor de amortiguamiento, 7) depends on the
value of the controller parameters, because:
48
7=
48
2 9

In this way, it is possible to observe that our system would behave as an overdamped
(sobreamortiguado) or underdamped (subamortiguado) system, depending on the controller
parameters that we select!.