Two Tank Non-Interacting System

Overview

The Two Tank Non-Interacting System consists of two tanks connected in series where the outlet of the first tank feeds the second, but the level in the second tank does not affect the drainage from the first (non-interacting configuration). This produces an overall second-order process response with two time constants. Students study the step response of each tank individually (first-order) and of the combined system (second-order), identify the individual and overall time constants, and implement cascade control where the level of the first tank is the primary and the second tank level or flow is the secondary loop. The two-tank system is a classic demonstration of higher-order process dynamics.

Specifications