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 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
 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:
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