4.2.

1 Additive Property of Transfer Functions

An output variable can be affected by more than one input variable. Because
transfer functions are models of linear systems, the Principal of Superposition
applies. Thus, the effects of the individual inputs on the output are additive, as
shown in Fig. 4.2 for a two-input, single-output system:

Y(s) = (s) (s) + (s) (s) (4-46)

This additive property is also illustrated in the transfer function model for the
blending system in Eq. 4-33.
EXAMPLE 4.6
The dynamic model of a stirred-tank heating process with
constant volume in Eq. 2-36 was derived in Section 2.4.1:

At the nominal steady state, the inlet stream temperature

is = 70 ∘F and the heater input is = 1920 Btu∕min.
Additional information:
= 220 lb∕min = 0.32 Btu ∕ F
ρ = 62.4 lb∕ft3 = 1.6
Substituting numerical values in the steady-state version
of Eq. 2-36 gives = 100 ∘F. At t = 0, inlet temperature
is changed from 70 to F and the heater input is changed
from 1920 to 1600 Btu/min.
(a) Derive a transfer function model for this system.
(b) Use the model to calculate the exit stream temperature response, T(t).

SOLUTION

(a) The heating process has two inputs () and one output . A dynamic model
was derived in Section 2.4.1:
EXAMPLE 4.7
Two surge tanks are placed in series so that the
exit flow from the top tank flows into the lower
tank, as shown in Fig. 4.4. If an exit flow rate is
proportional to liquid level (or head) in that tank,
derive the transfer function that relates changes in
the exit flow rate of the lower tank to changes in
the inlet flow rate to the top tank qi. Show how
this overall transfer function, (s)∕(s), is related to
the individual transfer functions, (s)∕(s), (s)∕(s),
(s)∕(s), and (s)∕(s). (s) and (s) denote the Laplace
transforms of the deviations in Tank 1 and Tank 2
levels, respectively. Assume that the two tanks
have cross-sectional areas, and , and valve
resistances, and , respectively.
LINEARIZATION OF NONLINEAR MODELS
EXAMPLE 4.8
Consider a single tank liquid-level system where the outflow passes through a
valve. Recalling Eq. 2-56, assume now that the valve discharge rate is related to
the square root of liquid level:

where depends on the size of the valve (see Chapter 9). Derive an approximate
dynamic model for this process by linearization and compare with the results in
Example 4.1.
SOLUTION
The material balance for the process (Eq. 2-54) after substituting Eq. 4-74 is

To obtain the system transfer function, linearize Eq. 4-75 about the steady-state
conditions (h, qi). The deviation variables are
EXAMPLE 4.9
Again consider the stirred-tank blending system in Eqs. 2-17 and 2-18, written as

Assume that volume V remains constant (due to an overflow line that is not
shown) and consequently, . Inlet composition and inlet flow rates w1 and w2 can
vary, but stream 2 is pure solute so that . Derive transfer functions that relate the
exit composition to the three input variables (w1, ) using the steps shown in the
flow chart of Fig. 4.6.
SOLUTION
The nonlinearities in Eq. 4-80 are due to the product terms, , and so forth. The
right side of Eq. 4-80 has the functional form For Step 1 of Fig. 4.6, calculate the
nominal steady-state value, , from Eq. 4-79 and from Eq. 4-80, after setting the
derivatives equal to zero. For Step 2, linearize Eq. 4-80 about the nominal steady-
state values to obtain
EXAMPLE 4.10
As shown in Chapter 2, a continuous stirred-tank reactor with a single first-order
chemical reaction has the following material and energy balances:

If the reaction rate coefficient is given by the Arrhenius equation,

this model is nonlinear. However, it is possible to find approximate transfer functions

relating the inputs and outputs. For the case where the flow rate ( or ) and inlet
conditions ( and ) are assumed to be constant, derive the transfer function relating
changes in the reactor concentration to changes in the coolant temperature.
SOLUTION
For this situation, there is a single input
variable and two output variables and . First,
the steady-state operating point must be
determined (Step 1 in Fig. 4.6). Note that such
a determination will require iterative solution
of two nonlinear algebraic equations; this can
be done using a Newton–Raphson method or
similar algorithm (Chapra and Canale, 2014).
Normally, we would specify , , and and then
determine andthat satisfy Eqs. 2-66 and 2-68 at
steady state. Then we can proceed with the
linearization of Eqs. 2-66 and 2-68. Defining
deviation variables , , and , gives the following
equations:
Note that Eq. 2-66 does not
contain input variable , so no term
appears in Eq. 4-88. We can
convert Eqs. 4-88 and 4-89 into a
transfer function between the
coolant temperature (s) and the
tank outlet concentration (s) via
Laplace transformation: