Experiment – 3

Dynamics of Mixing-
Heating Tank Process

Name:
Roll No.:

Aim:

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Process Dynamics and Control Lab, Dept. of Chemical Engg., NIT Tiruchirappalli
To understand the dynamic properties of a continuously stirred heated tank with continuous
heating and inlet flow and outlet flow.

Description:

The process is a continuously stirred heated tank with continuous mass (liquid) inflow and
outflow. The front panel of the simulator shows the system. The mathematical model can be
derived from an energy balance for the liquid in the tank. The energy balance can be
expressed as the following first order differential equation:

cVdT/dt = P + cw(Ti - T) + U(To - T)

where

 T [oC] is the liquid temperature in the tank

 Ti [oC] is the inlet temperature
 To [oC] is the ambient temperature
 c [J/(kg K)] is the specific heat capacity of the liquid
  [kg/m3] is the liquid density.
 w [kg/s] is the liquid mass flow through the tank
 V [m3] is the tank volume
 U [J/(s K)] is the total heat transfer coefficient (between the tank and the surroundings
(environment)

The simulator is based on the above model.

Procedure:

Unless otherwise stated, all the default values of the parameters are given in the GUI (a
default value is retrieved via right-click on the element / Reinitialize to Default on the front
panel).

1. How the temperature T of the liquid in the tank depends qualitatively on the following
variables and parameters:
o Inlet temperature Ti (it can be changed e.g. as a step)
o Mass flow w (e.g. increase it).
o Ambient (Environmental) temperature Ti.
o Heat transfer coefficient U (increase from e.g. U=500).
Find out the gain and time constant for all the above cases.

2. It is specified that the steady state value of the tank temperature, T s, shall be 40
degrees C. The inlet flow temperature is assumed to be T i0 = 20 degrees C. Calculate
the constant power, P0, needed to achieve this. Use the default values of the process

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Process Dynamics and Control Lab, Dept. of Chemical Engg., NIT Tiruchirappalli
 parameters (as shown on the front panel). Confirm the calculated result with a
simulation.

Observations:

Graphs:

Draw relavant graphs

Inference and Conclusions:

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Process Dynamics and Control Lab, Dept. of Chemical Engg., NIT Tiruchirappalli