Single Tank System

Overview

The Single Tank System provides a physical first-order process plant for studying system identification and open-loop dynamic response. Water flows into the tank at a controlled rate and drains through a fixed restriction; the level is the process variable. A step change in inlet flow rate produces an exponential first-order response allowing determination of process gain and time constant. Students derive the transfer function, identify the process time constant and gain from experimental response data, and design a PID controller based on the identified model. The single tank is the archetypal first-order process model used to introduce process dynamics and control in chemical engineering education.

Specifications