Challenge: Design a control system to regulate the water level in multiple coupled tank systems. Description: The “Two Tank Module” consists of a pump with a water basin. The pump thrusts water vertically to two quick connect, normally closed orifices “Out1″ and “Out2″. These two orifices have different diameters. Two tanks mounted on the front plate are configured such that flow from the first tank flows into the second tank and outflow from the second tank flows into the main water basin. The outflows from the two tanks are variable by changing inserts that screw into the tapped holes. Rubber tubing with appropriate couplings is supplied to enable the pump to feed water into one or both tanks. The selection of outputs from the pump controls the flow ratio between the two outputs. This single system can be configured into 3 types of experiments each with various parameters.
|Configuration #1:||SISO system. The pump feeds into Tank 1 and you design a controller that regulates the level in Tank 1. Tank 2 is not used at all.|
|Configuration #2:||State coupled SISO system. The pump feeds into Tank 1, which in turn feeds into Tank 2. Design a controller that regulates the levels in Tank 2. Try different orifices in Tank 1 and Tank 2.|
|Configuration #3:||State coupled and input coupled SISO system. The pump feeds into Tank 1 and into Tank 2 using a split flow. Tank 1 also feeds into Tank 2. Design a controller that regulates the levels in Tank 2.|
|Watertank experiments as taught by the original experiment designers: KTH in Sweden|
Difficulty: Undergraduate / Graduate
Laser Beam Stabilization