International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)

Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org

Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847

Two-PI Controllers Based Quadruple Tank

System
Hana El saady1 and Farag Hossen2
1
Assistant Lecture, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Tobruk University, Tobruk, Libya.
2
Assistant Lecture, Mechanical Engineering Department, Higher Institute of Comprehensive Occupations, Tobruk, Libya.

Abstract
This paper aims to design Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller to control the desired water level of Quadruple
Tank System (QTS). A mathematical model and linear state space model are exploited to analyze the QTS. The performance,
in terms of the transient and the steady state response, is verified using MATLAB.
Keywords: Quadruple Tank System, PI Controller, Transient response, steady state response.

1. INTRODUCTION
The non-linear control systems are engaged extensively in numerous industrial processes, where multiple inputs and
multiple outputs are interacted with controlled variables [1]. The Quadruple Tank System (QTS) is widely studied in
literature [3][5][7], and it will be explored in the current paper by designing a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID)
controller.
.For long time, PID controllers are the core of industrial control systems, by which the required output parameters
such as position, velocity or temperature can be resulted with a minimum error at a short period of time [8]. The PID
controllers are originally presented in 1910, whereas in 1942, Ziegler–Nichols proposed initial tuning rules driving the
PID controllers in a popular place [8]. Although this proposed tuning rules have been taken a considerable attention,
unfortunately complicated tuning steps of PID parameters are employed to achieve the anticipated process successfully,
in turn, leading to a set of suggested approaches in literature. The most well-known process control is the control of
water level in tank, where a number of researchers have introduced different valuable approaches [9].
In principle, the key role of the PID's level control is to retain a desired output level at a planned value, and has the
ability to run a new intended values consistently with response as high as possible. For QTS, in order to control the
level in the two lower tanks, two pumps are employed with two applied inputs voltage named as v1 and v2, whereas h1
and h2 represent the output control levels of the lower tanks.

2. MODELING OF TANK SYSTEM

The QTS is considered as a two double-tank process. Considering the water flow with respect to the gravity as shown
in Fig 1, the Tank3 and the Tank4 are positioned above the Tank1 and the Tank2. The water is delivered into the four
tanks via appropriate position of valves and pumps. The pump1 delivers water into Tank1 and Tank4 while the pump 2
delivers the water into Tank2 and Tank3. The inputs and outputs parameters of the lower tank system are the applied
voltages (v1,v2) and water levels of tanks (h1,h2) respectively.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of QTS.

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International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847

The nonlinear equations for each tank are obtained through mass balance law and Bernoulli’s law as follows:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Where Ai cross-section of the tank, i =1,2,3 or 4.

ai section of the outlet hole.
hi water level.
v1,v2 input voltages.
( 1 ,  2 ) output voltages.

Using eq.1, the tank 1 can be implemented in MATLAB as shown in Fig 2.

Figure 2 Simulink Diagram of Tank1.

Likewise, Tank2, Tank3, and Tank4 can be implemented to get the whole four tank system as shown in Fig 3

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International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847

Figure 3 Simulink diagram of QTS.

3. MODEL LINEARZIATION:

The linearization of the model around the two set operating points (minimum phase & non minimum phase) is
illustrated in Table 1:
Table 1: Parameter values of the process.
Units P_ P
(h10 , h20 ) [cm] 12.4, 12.7 12.6, 13.0
(h30 , h40 ) [cm ] 1.8, 1.4 4.9, 4.8
(v10 , v20 ) [V ] 3.00, 3.00 3.15, 3.15
(k1 , k2 ) [cm3 / Vs ] 3.33, 3.35 3.14, 3.29
( 1 ,  2 ) 0.70, 0.60 0.43, 0.34

The model can be linearized mathematically as in [10], alternatively, it can be obtained using MATLAB as follows:

, and

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International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)
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Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847

4. SIMULATION AND RESULTS

4.1 Simulation results without controller

The change in the level of liquid in the tanks is as a function of change in the applied voltage of the pumps. In
that, Fig4 and Fig5 show that the water level is increased as the voltage increasing.

14

12
The measured vules of level h1,h2

h1
10 h2

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Time(sec)

Figure 4 Open loop response of the QTS at (v1 = v2 = 3).

15
The measured values of h2 and h1

h2
10 h1

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time [sec]

Figure 5 Open loop response of the QTS at (v1 = v2 = 3.15).

4.2 Simulation results with Proportional Integral (PI) controller
For controlling the level of tanks at desired values, two PI controllers are introduced as shown in Fig 6 and their
parameters are tuned as given in Table 2. MATLAB environment are used to obtain the system's performance, showing
the transient and the steady state response. The simulated results show that two PI controllers provide a fast response
without overshoot and no steady state errors as shown in Fig.7 and Fig.8.

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International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847

Figure 6 Simulink diagram of controlled QTS System.

Table2 Tuned values of the two PI Controllers.

Parameters of PI PI controller 1 PI controller 2

controller
Tuned vales Tuned vales
Kp 700 700
Ki 6 6

Response of QTS with PI Controllers

18

16

14

12 Set Point of Tank1

Set Point of Tank 2
Level of Tank

10 h2
h1
8

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time in Second

Figure 7 Closed loop response of controlled QTS at desired values.

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International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2018 ISSN 2319 - 4847
Step Response of Tank1 and Tank2
1.4
h1
1.2 h2
Set Ponint
1

Level of Tank 0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
Time in Second
Figure 8 Unit step response of QTS.
5. CONCLUSION
In this paper, the Quadruple Tank System was investigated with a minimum phase system. Mathematical model
and linearization of nonlinear system were determined. The two PI controller's parameters were tuned to control
the liquid level at desired values in the two lower tanks, leading to a great enhancement in the system response.
References:
[1] Sazuan Nazrah Mohd. Azam, and John Bagterp Jørgensen, ’’Modeling and Simulation of a Modified Quadruple
Tank System‘‘. IEEE International Conference on Control System, Computing and Engineering, 27 - 29 November
2015, Penang, Malaysia.
[2] Yousof Gholipour,and Ahmad Zare. ’’Comparing the effect of PI and I controllers on a four tank process‘‘.
International Journal of Recent Research in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IJRREEE). Vol. 1, Issue 1, pp:
(1-6), Month: April - June 2014.
[3] Serkan Özkan, Tolgay Kara and Mehmet Arıcı,’’ Modelling, Simulation and Control of Quadruple Tank Process‘‘.
Electrical and electronics Engineering Department, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey
[4] W. Belhaj and O. Boubaker.’’ On MIMO PID Control of the quadruple-tank process via ILMIs Approaches :
Minimum and Non-Minimum Case studies‘‘. The International Federation of Automatic Control December 18-20,
2013. Mumbai, India.
[5] Mostafa.A. Fellani, and Aboubaker M. Gabaj, ’’PID Controller design for two Tanks liquid level Control System
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[7] Parvathy Prasad, ’’The Performance Analysis Of Four Tank System For Conventional Controller And Hybrid
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[8] Mostafa.A. Fellani , Aboubaker M. Gabaj . PID Controller design for two Tanks liquid level Control System using
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[9] Surbhi Sharma, Manisha Arora, and Kuldeepak Kaushik. Analysis of Liquid Level Control of Coupled Tank
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[10] Jayaprakash.J. SenthilRajan T, and Harish Babu T'' State Variable analysis of four tank system''. International
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AUTHORS
Hana El saady received the B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Omar Almuktar
University in 2000 and M.Sc. degree in Communication, Control, and Digital Signal Processing from
Strathclyde University UK in 2010. She currently works at Department of Electrical and Electronics
Engineering of Tobruk University.
Farag Hossen received the B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Omar Almuktar University in 2000
and M.Sc. degree in Advanced Manufacturing Systems from Teesside University UK in 2011.He
currently works at Department of Mechanical Engineering of Higher Institute of Comprehensive
Occupations

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