Analysis of a heated batch well-stirred vessel.

The temperature in the batch vessel is Tb(t), this temperature is to be

measured by a thermometer which records a temperature T(t) initially the
thermometer is outside of the vessel and is in equilibrium with the ambient
temperature Tamb(t).

The vessel is maintained at constant temperature Tb (say 80C) and the

ambient temperature is also constant at Tamb (say 20C). At time t = 0 the
thermometer is placed into the vessel, how long does it take for the
thermometer to read 79C?

Data:
Mass of thermometer, m = 5 g
Area for heat transfer, A = 5 x 10-4 m2
Overall heat transfer coefficient, U = 1000 W m-2 K-1
Specific heat capacity, Cp = 1000 J kg-1 K-1

Possible solution:

With some simplifying assumptions an energy balance gives

dT
mC p = UA ( Tb - T ) Eqn (1)
dt
Eqn (1) can be re-written in terms of deviation variables and re-arranged into
a standard form for a 1st order dynamic system.

1
Define T* = T Tamb, Tb* = Tb - Tamb
so from Eqn (1)

mC p d ( T + Tamb )
*

+ ( T * + Tamb ) = ( Tb* + Tamb )

UA dt
mC p dT *
+ T * = Tb* Eqn(2)
UA dt
dy* *
t
p + y *
= K p x
dt

some worthwhile checks what are Kp and tp? Are the units correct? Do they
make sense?

Laplace transforms of Eqn (2) can be taken to give:

UA ( ) + T ( s) = T ( s)
mC p =0
sT * ( s ) - T * ( 0 ) *
b
*

1 Eqn (3)
T * ( s) = Tb* ( s )
mC p
s +1
UA

So to solve for T*(t) need to know/remember/figure out that the input in this
case will look like a step change in the temperature from T amb to Tb, so

Tb - Tamb 80 - 20 60
Tb* ( s ) = = =
s s s
this gives:

160 1 1
1 1 5
T ( s) =
*
= 60
= 60
5 1000 s s s + 1
5s + 1 s
1000 s +1 5
1000 1 10-3

This form is in the Laplace transform table handed out and so can easily find
that:

(
T * ( t ) = 60 1 - e
-t
5
)
and so

2
 (
T ( t ) = Tamb + 60 1 - e
-t
5
) (
= 20 + 60 1 - e
-t
5
)
time taken to reach 79C

(
79 = 20 + 60 1 - e
-t
5
)
59 -t -t
= 1- e 5 e 5=1
60 60
t = -5ln 1 ( 60 )
= 20.5s

We could now also consider the heating process of the tank mathematically
this is (virtually) identical to the heating of the thermometer. Probably look to
control the temperature using steam at a particular temperature, T coil, as the
heat transfer on the coil side is by phase change, changes in flowrate of the
steam will not change Uc (the overall heat transfer coefficient from the coil to
the vessel) by much. However pressure manipulation of steam is
straightforward and so the temperature of the steam can be controlled by
means of a valve.

Consider a small vessel:

Data:

Mass of fluid in vessel, mv = 1 kg

Area for heat transfer from coil, Ac = 0.04 m2
Overall heat transfer coefficient, Uc = 1000 W m-2 K-1 (why the same as
before?)
Specific heat capacity of fluid in vessel, Cpv = 4000 J kg-1 K-1

Possible solution:

With some simplifying assumptions an energy balance gives

dTb
mvC pv = U c Ac ( Tcoil - Tb ) Eqn (4)
dt
Eqn (4) can be re-written in terms of deviation variables and re-arranged into
a standard form for a 1st order dynamic system.
Define Tb* = Tb Tamb, Tcoil* = Tcoil - Tamb
so from Eqn (4)

3
 mv C pv d ( Tb + Tamb )
*

+ ( Tb* + Tamb ) = ( Tcoil

*
+ Tamb )
U c Ac dt
mv C pv dTb*
+ Tb* = Tcoil
*
Eqn(5)
U c Ac dt
dy*
tp
+ y * = K p x*
dt

some worthwhile checks what are Kp and tp? Are the units correct? Do they
make sense?

Now I have to measure the temperature in the vessel to know what it is I

can do this with the thermometer above! A block diagram of the process
would look like this:

T*coil Tb* T*
Gp Gm

where

1 1
Gp = ; Gm =
mv C pv mC p
s + 1 s + 1
U c Ac UA
We can easily relate changes in T*coil (the input) to changes in measured
temperature, T* (the output).

T * ( s ) = G p GmTcoil
*
( s)
If we initially imagine the situation where all temperatures are initially at T amb
and then at t = 0, the coil temperature is raised to 100C, at what time does
the measured temperature, T reach 80C? What is the value of T b at this
time?

Possible solution:

1 1 ( 100 - Tamb )
T * ( s) =
1
4000 5s + 1 s
s + 1
1000
0.04

4
 1 1
100 1
T ( s ) = 80
*
5 Eqn (6)
s+ 1 s+ 1 s
100 5
you can use partial fractions to invert this back to the time domain:

0.01 0.2
T * ( t ) = 80
1- e -0.2t + e -0.01t
0.01 - 0.2 0.01 - 0.2
T ( t ) = 20 + 80 + 4.21e -0.2 t
- 84.21e -0.01t

so want t, when T = 80C, so

80 = 20 + 80 + 4.21e -0.2t - 84.21e -0.01t

84.21e -0.01t = 20 + 4.21e -0.2t
Eqn (7)
20 + 4.21e -0.2t
t = -100 ln
84.21
but Eqn (7) is implicit in t (i.e. t is on both the LHS and the RHS), but likely the
term 4.21e-0.2t is small, so initially ignore it then check if it was ok, so can re-
write eqn (7) as

20
t = -100 ln = 144 s
84.21
check e -0.2144 = 3 10-13 this is very small so it was ok to ignore it.
To find Tb at this time we note that:

1
1
T b
*
( s) = G T*
p coil ( s ) = 80 100
s+ 1 s
100
this can be easily inverted using the tables to give:

(
Tb* ( t ) = 80 1 - e
-t
100
)
so

Tb ( t ) = 20 + 80 1 - e( -144
100
) = 81.05
does this seem sensible?

5
Control of a heated batch well-stirred vessel.
We would like to use the thermometer measurement to control the
temperature in the vessel. We would do this by changing the valve that is (in
turn) able to change the temperature in the coil.

We can use the generic feedback control diagram below:

Now

Xset would be the change in set point in the vessel temperature, so would
probably call this T*b,sp (units C)

Gc is the controller transfer function (perhaps units mA C -1)

Gep is a signal condition transfer function (perhaps units mA mA -1)

Gv is the valve transfer function (units C mA-1)

Gp is the process transfer function (units C C-1)

Gd is the disturbance transfer function (no info given, output needs to be in C)

Y is the temperature of the vessel, Tb (units C)

Gm is the thermometer transfer function (units C C -1)

Ym is the thermometer temperature, T (units C)

6
So given the following data find the range of values of the controller gain, K c
that will give a stable response.

Data:

The controller uses proportional control, Kc only.

Gep is fast acting and has a gain of 1 mA mA-1

Gv is fast acting and has a gain of 1 C mA-1

Gp and Gm are as derived earlier.

This information leads to the following block diagram:

T*b,sp + T*b
Km Gc Gp
-

Gm

We note that we do not need to consider any disturbances as we know that

the denominator of the closed loop transfer function will be the same for both
set point and disturbance changes and it is this denominator that controls the
feedback loop stability.

We can analyse the block diagram as follows:

( T ( s) K
*
b , sp m - Tb* ( s ) Gm ) Gc G p = Tb* ( s )
K G G *
Tb* ( s ) = m c p
b , sp ( )
T
s

1 + GmGc G p

so the closed loop transfer function (for set point changes) G cl is

1 K c 1
K G G
Gcl = m c p

=
( 100s + 1)


1 + GmGc G p
1 + Kc 1 1

100s + 1 5s + 1

7
this can be re-arranged to give:

Gcl =
( 5s + 1) Kc
( 100s + 1) ( 5s + 1) + K c
This then leads to the following characteristic equation (do not want the
denominator of Gcl to be 0):

500 s 2 + 105s + 1 + K c = 0
now this can be written in a standard form by dividing through by 1 + K c.

500 2 105
s + s +1 = 0
1 + Kc 1 + Kc
(t s + 2Vt s + 1 = 0 )
2 2

this will lead to a stable system as long a Kc > -1.

(What happens when -1 < Kc < 0 ?)

You could also be asked what range of controller values would give a
response with no oscillations?

Now want 1, so

500 105
t2 = 2Vt =
1 + Kc 1 + Kc
52.5

1 + Kc
V=
500
1 + Kc
so
500 52.5 2756.25
1 = 1 + Kc =
1 + Kc 1 + Kc 500

and so for no oscillations require Kc 4.5125.

Note if the sensor was fast (i.e. Gm = Km = 1) then the characteristic equation
is
100s + 1 + K c = 0
this is also stable for Kc > -1, but couldnt show oscillations as whatever value
of Kc used have a 1st order system.