Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

6-30-1962

Degree Name

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering - (M.S.)

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Herbert Dengler

Second Advisor

Jerome J. Salamone

Third Advisor

Joseph Joffe

Fourth Advisor

Michael Frederick

Abstract

Stability and response of automatically controlled liquid level systems was investigated theoretically by transient and frequency response analysis and experimentally on a laboratory liquid level system.

Transfer functions were derived for each component and were used to describe the response of the experimental system. The effect of measurement time constants on system performance was experimentally investigated. Poor control, but not instability, resulted from an increase in measurement time constant. The behavior of the system at various operating loads was determined experimentally. The system was unstable at the maximum measureable flow rate, but stable at all other loads. Theoretical response curves did not show an unstable system at the maximum inlet flow rate, but did show cycling above 70% of the maximum inlet flow rate. This tendency towards cycling and control valve characteristics caused the system to become unstable.

The investigation showed that it is necessary to carefully match system load and control valve operating characteristics to insure good control of commercial installations.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.