Assessment Brief

Programme: BEng EEE; BSc Phys

Module Code: KD6031

Module Title: Instrumentation and Control of Dynamical Systems

Weighting This coursework accounts for 20% of the total mark for this module

Submission of
Electronic Management of Assessment (EMA): Please note if your assignment is
Assessment
submitted electronically, it will be submitted online via Turnitin by the given deadline. You
will find a Turnitin link on the module’s eLP site.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your assignment arrives before the submission
deadline stated above. See the University policy on late submission of work.

Dates and Mechanisms for Assessment Submission and Feedback

Date of Handout to Students:

9:30 am (GMT) on 31 January 2022
Mechanism for Handout to Students:
via e-Learning Portal (eLP), discussed in lectures and seminars
Date and Time of Submission by Student:
To be submitted by 16.00 GMT on 14/03/2022
If for personal reasons you cannot submit by that date, and you feel you have grounds for requesting an
extension, you should complete a Late Approval Form and submit it to the Student Central
Mechanism for Submission of Work by Student:
via e-Learning Portal (eLP)
Date by which Work, Feedback and Marks will be returned to Students:
By w/c 22nd April 2022
Mechanism for return of assignment work, feedback and marks to students:
Feedback will take place following completion of all reviews and internal moderation of results. This will be in
the form of an individual email to each student of their marks. Feedback will also be given at the module
review with the lecturer and lab assistant.

Further Information

During semester 2, content that is relevant to your assignment will be provided during lectures and on
Blackboard (eLP). These materials will serve as useful starting points which you are expected to go beyond in
the assignment. Seminar sessions throughout semester 2 will provide an opportunity to discuss the content of
your assignment with the module teaching team.

Instructions on Assessment

Answer all questions. Show evidence of simulations using Simulink by printing your programs. You
can either submit a hardcopy or an electronic copy of your assignment. However, electronic copy is
preferable.

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives

In this assignment, you will learn how to describe and analyse a two-tank hydraulic system and the
fluid velocity measurement system. Next, you will also learn how to model the systems mathematically.
Finally, you will learn how such equations are applied in practice in the instrumentation and control.

Module Specific Assessment Criteria and Rubric

The marking scheme is given below.

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Assessment Brief

ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS

You are advised to read the guidance for students regarding assessment policies. They are available online
here.

Late submission of work

Where coursework is submitted without approval, after the published hand-in deadline, the following penalties
will apply.

For coursework submitted up to 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without approval,
10% of the total marks available for the assessment (i.e.100%) shall be deducted from the assessment
mark.

Coursework submitted more than 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without
approval will be regarded as not having been completed. A mark of zero will be awarded for the assessment
and the module will be failed, irrespective of the overall module mark.

These provisions apply to all assessments, including those assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

The full policy can be found here.

Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment (including ALL appendices) and it must be
made available within 24hours of them requesting it be submitted.

Academic Misconduct

The Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) contain the Regulations and procedures
applying to cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.

The full policy is available at here

You are reminded that plagiarism, collusion and other forms of academic misconduct as referred to in the
Academic Misconduct procedure of the assessment regulations are taken very seriously. Assignments in
which evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct is found may receive a mark of zero.

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Assessment Brief

Question 1
A two-tank hydraulic system is illustrated in Figure Q1

Figure Q1

Its governing equations are described by:

𝑑ℎ1
𝐴1 𝑅1 + ℎ1 = 𝑅1 𝑞𝑖 + ℎ2
𝑑𝑡
𝑑ℎ2
𝐴2 𝑅1 𝑅2 + 𝑅1 ℎ2 + 𝑅2 ℎ2 = 𝑅2 ℎ1
𝑑𝑡

where A1 and A2 are the cross-sectional areas of tank 1 and tank 2 respectively, qi and qo are the
inlet and outlet flow and q1 is the flow between the tanks, h1 and h2 are the heights of the liquid in
tanks 1 and 2, respectively; and R1 and R2 are the resistances of valves 1 and 2, respectively.

(a) Assuming that, the inlet flow, qi, is the control input (i.e., u(t) = qi) and the height of the fluid h2 is
the measured output (i.e., y(t) = h2), express the system in the state space form by setting h1 =
x1 and h2 = x2.

(3 marks)

(b) Assuming that, A1 = A2 = 1 m2 and R1 = R2 = 0.1 K/W, analyse the stability and controllability of
the system.

(9 marks)

(c) Design an open-loop controller such that liquid height of tank 2 has a constant value of 0.25 m.
Show your result via simulation using Simulink. Explain why open-loop control is not
recommendable in practice.

(5 marks)

(d) We wish to design an output feedback controller of the form u(t) = ky + v to regulate the liquid
height at a constant value. Give the range of values of k for which the closed-loop system is
stable.

(5 marks)

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Assessment Brief

(e) By choosing a fixed value for k in the range you have found in Question (d) and using the same
input signal used in Question (c), show your result of time-domain response of h2 by carrying a
simulation of your result using Simulink.

(10 marks)

(f) Now, we wish to design a state feedback controller of the form u(t) =k1x1 + k2x2 + v to regulate
the tank 2 liquid height at a constant value. Give the ranges of k1 and k2 for which the closed-
loop system is stable. Give the advantage for using the state feedback over the output feedback.

(8 marks)

(g) By setting k2 = k (k is the fixed value you used in Question (e)) and choosing a fixed value for k1
in the range you have found in Question (f), compare the time-domain responses of h2 between
the state feedback and the output feedback systems through simulation using Simulink.

(10 marks)

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Assessment Brief

Question 2

A fluid velocity measurement system consists of a pitot tube, a differential pressure transmitter, an
8-bit analogue-to-digital converter and a microcontroller with display facilities. Table Q2 gives the
model equations and parameters for each element in the system. The microcontroller calculates the
measured value of velocity assuming a constant density.

(a) Find the mean of the fluid velocity measurement system assuming the true value of velocity VT
is 14.0 m s−1.
(10 marks)

(b) Estimate the standard deviation of the error probability density function from the output of
individual elements when the true value of velocity VT is 14.0 m s−1. The rectangular distributions as
normal with σ = h/√3.

i. The statistical variations of the pitot tube.

(6 marks)
ii. The statistical variations of differential pressure Transmitter.
(6 marks)
iii. The statistical variations of analogue-to-digital converter.
(6 marks)
iv. The statistical variations of microcontroller with display.
(6 marks]
v. The overall standard deviation of the fluid velocity measurement system.
(6 marks)
(c) Explain briefly what modifications could be made to the system to reduce the quantities calculated
in (a).
(10 marks)
Pitot tube Differential Analogue-to- Microcontroller
pressure digital with display
Transmitter converter
Model ΔP = 0.5ρ VT2 i = K1 ΔP + a1 n = K2i + a2 Tm = K3√(n-51)
equations
Mean values ρ = 1.2 K1 = 0.064 K2 = 12.80 K3 = 1.43
ã1 = 4.0 a2 = 0.0
n rounded to
nearest integer
Half widths hρ = 0.1 ha1 = 0.04 ha2 = 0.5 ha3 = 0.0
of
rectangular
Distribution
Table Q2

END OF PAPER

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