Module 4: Modelling of Fluidic Systems

✓ Likewise, the mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical systems, the

fluidic systems have been primarily divided into two main categories:
✓ In Hydraulic Systems, the working fluid is relatively incompressible and
therefore liquid like water is usually considered to transmit the power.
✓ In Hydraulic Systems, the tanks will always be needed to store the
working fluidic; therefore, what about generic modeling of Tanks
(Water level Tank)?
✓ In Pneumatic Systems, the working fluid is relatively compressible and
therefore gas (air) is usually considered to transmit the power.
✓ In Pneumatic Systems, the model can withdraw the air from
atmosphere and simply a filter would be utilized for purification (If
desired).
What is the difference between mass
https://www.theengineerspost.com/hydraulics-and-pneumatics/ flow rate and Volumetric flow rate?
 Mass Flow Rate Vs Volumetric Flow Rate
The measure of
Mass amount of mass
Flow moving through a
Meters 𝑚=ρAv
ሶ
device(Flow meter)
Flow per unit time.
Meters
The measure of
Volumetric amount of volume of
Flow the fluid flowing ሶ
𝑄=Av
meters through a device (Flow
meter) per unit time.
 Building Blocks of Hydraulic Systems

Volumetric Fluidic System Pressure

Flow Rate (q) (Hydraulic; Pneumatic) Difference (P1-P2)

✓ During the flow of the working fluid in the hydraulic systems, an

opposition force will always be noticed (Primarily due to change in
diameter of the pipe or valve) and is known as hydraulic resistance.
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 ∝ 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒: 𝑃1 − 𝑃2 ∝ q : 𝑃1 − 𝑃2 =Rq

✓ Where R is called the hydraulic resistance.

The higher the resistance the higher the
pressure difference for a given rate of flow.
 Hydraulic Capacitance
✓ There will always be an imperative need to store the working fluid in
some unit (Such as tank). Hydraulic Capacitance describes that energy
storage (Usually in the form of Potential energy) as in the figure, and
height of the working fluid in a container (Pressure Head) is one form of
the storage.
Rate of Change of Volume in the tank = Difference between the inward and outward flow rate
𝑑𝑉
= 𝑞1 − 𝑞2
𝑑𝑡
✓ Volume of the tank can be written as
the product of cross-sectional area
and height of the working liquid.
✓ Recall the measurement of Pressure
difference in manometers
 Hydraulic Capacitance
✓ Pressure difference can be obtained by considering the
manometer’s interpretation as given below;
P=ρgh
✓ By putting above well-justified terms into the main
equation of flow rate;
𝑑𝑉 𝑑(𝐴ℎ) 𝑑ℎ
𝑞1 − 𝑞2 = = = 𝐴
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
P A
d( )
ρg A 𝑑𝑃 Where C=
ρg
is the hydraulic Capacitance
q1 − q 2 = A = but what about Capacitance of the tank?
dt ρg 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑃 Can you now develop an analogy of
q1 − q 2 = 𝐶 hydraulic Capacitance with the electric
𝑑𝑡 capacitance?
 Hydraulic Inertance
✓ Hydraulic Inertance is analogous to the inductance in the electrical
circuit.
✓ A measure of the pressure difference in a fluid required to cause a unit
change in the rate of change of volumetric flow-rate with time.
✓ Consider a fluidic system
in the form of rectangular
block with mass “m” as
shown in Figure. There will
always be a need of force to
move this system.
෍ 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑑v
(P1 −P2 )A = 𝑚
𝑑𝑡
 Hydraulic Inertance
✓ Due to incompressible nature of the working fluid, the before-described
equation would now become;
𝑑v 𝑑v
(P1 −P2 )A = ρ𝑉 = ρ𝐴𝐿
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
✓ Volumetric flow rate always plays a pivotal role in the flow-regimes and
therefore, the velocity of the fluid can also be rewritten in the form of
volumetric flow rate as given below; ρ𝑳
q
Where I= is the hydraulic
𝑨
𝑑( ) 𝑑q
(P1 −P2 )A = ρ𝐴𝐿 =𝐴
ρ𝐿 inertance but can you relate the
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 derived notation with the
ρ𝐿 𝑑q definition?
(P1 −P2 ) =
𝐴 𝑑𝑡
𝑑q Can you relate the final derived expression
(P1 −P2 ) = 𝐼 with the electrical system?
𝑑𝑡
 Simplest Model of Water Level Tank
✓ Consider a simple hydraulic system in
which the liquid enters and leaves a
container as shown in Figure. It is
assumed that the liquid is not
accelerating and you are required to
(a) Render the complete dynamics of
system into a single differential
equation relating the input flow rate
with the height of the working fluid.
(b) Find the transfer function between
the height to the inward flow rate.
(c) Find the state space from part (b).
Coupled Tank Systems

Two tanks System:

Find the transfer function
between the outward
flowrate to the inward
flow rate

Coupled tanks
System
 Building blocks of the Pneumatic Systems
✓ Unlike the hydraulic systems, the working fluid is relatively compressible
in the pneumatic systems and therefore, density will be the prominent in
the modeling of pneumatic systems (i.e., Due to change in pressure,
volume changes and therefore, density will also be changed).
✓ Likewise, the other dynamic systems, there are three building blocks of
the pneumatic systems: (1) Pneumatic Resistance (2) Pneumatic
Capacitance (3) Pneumatic Inertance.
✓ Pneumatic Resistance: The force that restricts the mass flow rate of
the working fluid (i.e., gas) through a device.
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 ∝ 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 Analogy with the hydraulic
𝑑𝑚
𝑃1 − 𝑃2 ∝ : 𝑃1 − 𝑃2 =R𝑚ሶ resistance and Electrical
𝑑𝑡 Resistance?
 Pneumatic Capacitance.
✓ Pneumatic Capacitance is related to the change in volume as well as
compressibility of the gas with reference to rate of change in pressure
(i.e., It could be due to the compressibility of the gases).
✓ Comparable to the compression of the spring which stores the energy.
✓ Consider a container in which inward mass flow rate is 𝑚ሶ 1 and flow rate
leaving the container is 𝑚ሶ 2 . Due to the rate of change in the pressure,
volume of the container certainly changes, and we are required to
develop the relation for the pneumatic capacitance!

V=Volume of the container; 𝑚ሶ 1 =Mass flow rate entering the container,

𝑚ሶ 2 =Mass flow rate leaving the container; ρ=Density of the working fluid;
P=Pressure Difference
 Pneumatic Capacitance.
Difference in the mass flow rate through a container=Rate of change of mass
within a container
𝑑𝑚 𝑑 ρ𝑉
𝑚ሶ 1 − 𝑚ሶ 2 = ; 𝑚ሶ 1 − 𝑚ሶ 2 =
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
✓ Since the working fluid is compressible; therefore, rate of change in the
density will also be observed in the above equation.
𝑑 ρ 𝑑 𝑉
𝑚ሶ 1 − 𝑚ሶ 2 = 𝑉 +ρ
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
✓ As per the definition and theoretical interpretations of the pneumatic
system, controllable parameter could be the pressure; therefore,
𝑑 ρ 𝑑 𝑉 𝑑 𝑃
𝑚ሶ 1 − 𝑚ሶ 2 = 𝑉 + ρ ×
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝑡
 Pneumatic Capacitance.
𝑃 𝑑ρ 1 𝑑𝑃
✓ According to the ideal gas law; 𝑃𝑉 = 𝑚𝑅𝑇; 𝑃 = ρRT; ρ= ; =
𝑅𝑇 𝑑𝑡 𝑅𝑇 𝑑𝑡
1 𝑑𝑃 𝑑 𝑉 𝑑 𝑃
𝑚ሶ 1 − 𝑚ሶ 2 = 𝑉( ) + ρ ×
𝑅𝑇 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝑡
✓ What about writing the final equation in terms of the rate of change of
pressure and difference in the mass flow rate.
V d V dP
mሶ 1 − mሶ 2 = ( + ρ )
RT dP dt
dP dP
mሶ 1 − mሶ 2 = (𝐶𝐶 + 𝐶𝑉 ) ; mሶ 1 − mሶ 2 = 𝐶
dt dt

✓ Where 𝐶𝑉 =Pneumatic Capacitance due to the Can you now develop

change in volume of the container, and 𝐶𝐶 = an analogy of
Pneumatic Capacitance
Pneumatic Capacitance due to the compressibility of with the electric
the gas via the rate of change of pressure difference capacitance?
 Pneumatic Inertance.
✓ The amount of pressure difference required to accelerate the block of
gas is known as pneumatic inertance.
✓ A measure of the pressure difference in a fluid required to cause a unit
change in the rate of change of mass flow-rate with time.
෍ 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑑v
(P1 −P2 )A = 𝑚
𝑑𝑡
✓ But in the pneumatic systems, mass is also changing so what about
writing the equation in terms of momentum?
𝑑(𝑚v) 𝑑(ρq) 𝑑𝑚ሶ
(P1 −P2 )A = = L ; (P1 −P2 )= 𝐼
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
 Modelling of a Pneumatic Bellow.
Consider the pneumatic bellow in which gas flows into the body through the
applied pressure P1 which results in the extraction or contraction of the
bellow depending upon the generated pressure inside the bellow (P2 ).
However, before the volume compressibility certain constriction is observed
which restricts the inward mass flow rate (𝑚) ሶ and therefore, the modeler
wants to analyze the generated pressure (Inside the bellow) as well as
extraction or contraction via the applied pressure.
✓ Find the differential equation which should relate the generated
pressure(Inside the bellow) with the applied pressure.
✓ Differential equation comprises of extraction of the bellow with the
applied pressure.
✓ Transfer function between extraction (x) and applied pressure.
 Modelling of a Pneumatically Controlled Spool Valve
Consider the hybrid system in which air
pressure is indirectly utilized to displace
the spool as shown in Figure. Due to
change in the displacement, position of
the valve relatively changes, and hydraulic
fluid flows outward as represented by the
outward arrows. You should consider the
viscous effects between the spool and
valve. You are required to;
✓ Find the differential equation which should relate the spool displacement (x) with the
air pressure. Afterward, illustrate the transfer function and state space of the system.
✓ Find the differential equation which should relate the hydraulic flow rate with the air
pressure. Afterward, illustrate the transfer function and state space of the system.
Dynamic Response of Spool Valve via the Applied Pressure
Dynamic Response of Spool Valve via the Piston viscous
friction
Dynamic Response of Spool Valve via the spring’s stiffness
Dynamic Response of flow-rate via the Applied Pressure
Dynamic Response of flow-rate via the Spring’s Stiffness
 Building Blocks of Thermal Systems
✓ In the modeling of thermal systems, the
main quantity of interest will be heat.
✓ The model of thermal systems are
obtained by using thermal resistance
and thermal capacitance which are the
basic elements of the thermal system.
✓ Thermal Resistance:
𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 ∝ 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 Can you write an analogy
𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ∝ 𝑞: 𝑇1 − 𝑇2 =R𝑞 between the resistances of
Change in temperature electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic,
Thermal Resistance =
Heat flow rate
and thermal systems?

✓ The value of thermal resistance will always be dependent on the mode of

the heat transfer (i.e., Conduction, Convection, and Radiations)
 Building Blocks of Thermal Systems
ℎ 𝑇1 −𝑇2 (KA)
✓ For a uni-directional conduction: 𝑅= , therefore, q= ; q= 𝑇1 − 𝑇2
𝐾𝐴 𝑅 ℎ
✓ Where A=Cross-sectional Area(Normal to the rate of heat transfer),
K=Thermal Conductivity, and h=Thickness of the material.
✓ For convection, we must consider the Newton’s law of cooling, and final
form of the thermal resistance will be dependent on the convection heat
transfer coefficient and area through which heat is being transferred.
𝑇1 −𝑇2 1
q=ℎ𝐴 𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ; q= ; 𝑅=
𝑅 ℎ𝐴
✓ Thermal Capacitance: The ability of a material to store heat energy.
𝑑𝑇
Rate of change of internal energy=𝑞1 - 𝑞2 =𝑚𝑐
𝑑𝑡
 Building Blocks of Thermal Systems
✓ This change in internal energy is likely to be
dependent on the mass, volume, and specific
heat of the material.
𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝑇
𝑞1 - 𝑞2 = 𝑞 =ρV𝑐 ; 𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑇
𝑞1 - 𝑞2 = 𝑪
𝑑𝑡

✓ Where C defines the thermal capacitance, whose value will be primarily

dependent on mass and specific heat of the material.
Can we write an analogous equations for electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and
thermal Capacitances?
 Thermometer in the Liquid
Consider a container of the liquid (With temperature 𝑇𝐿 )
and a thermometer is inserted in it to measure the
temperature of the liquid. Our hypothesis enlightened that
the temperature of the liquid is greater than the initial
temperature of the thermometer (Tolerance value before
measuring the temperature); therefore, heat q will flow
from the liquid to the thermometer and consequently, a
rise in the temperature of the thermometer will be noticed
(T) as shown in Figure.
✓ Find the differential equation which should relate the
thermo-temperature (T) with the temperature of the
liquid (𝑇𝐿 ).
✓ Illustrate the transfer function and state space of the
dynamic system.
Dynamic Response of Thermo-Temp via the liquid temp
Dynamic Response of Thermo-Temp via the glass thickness
 Mercury in Glass Thermometer
Consider mercury in the glass thermometer which is being
used to measure the temperature of the liquid (T) and it is
hypothesized that the temperatures of the glass and
mercury are 𝑇𝑔 and 𝑇𝑚 , respectively. The interface between
the glass and the outside environment is defined by
thermal resistance 𝑅𝑔 ; likewise, the interface between
mercury and the glass is equivalent to thermal resistance
𝑅𝑚 . You are required to;
✓ Find the differential equation which should relate the
actual temperature of the liquid (T) with the temperature
of the mercury (𝑇𝑚 ).
✓ Illustrate the transfer function and state space of the
dynamic system.
 Simplified Model of Compartment Heating
Consider a compartment in which auxiliary ignition
is present due to which heat ( q1 ) is being
transferred within the walls of the compartment. 𝐶 T0
This heat transfer results in the rise in temperature
T, however, due to the lowest resistance path
(Walls of the compartment), heat ( q2 ) will cross q1 q2
the compartment to achieve the equilibrium state
with the ambient (Surrounding) temperature (T0 ).
𝑇
✓ Find the differential equation which should
include the heat flow due to the ignition ( q1 ),
compartment temperature (T), and surrounding
temperature (T0 ).
 Simplified Model of Compartment Heating
Consider two compartments in which auxiliary
ignition is present due to which heat (𝑞) is being T0
transferred within the walls of the first q3
q1
compartment. This heat transfer results in the
rise in temperature T1 , however, due to the
lowest resistance path (Walls of the T1 T2
compartment), heat ( q1 ) will cross the
compartment to achieve the equilibrium state q2
with the ambient (Surrounding) temperature
𝑞
(T0 ). Furthermore, heat ( q 2 ) will also flow into
the second compartment resulting in the rise in
temperature ( T2 ) and heat ( q 3 ) will also cross
the compartment to achieve the equilibrium state Analyse the change in
with the ambient (Surrounding) temperature temperature of both
compartments with time?
(T0 ).