Block Tank (TL) simulates a tank in a thermal liquid network. The tank can be at a constant pressure set by a user-defined signal or at atmospheric pressure. When the tank is pressurised to atmospheric pressure, the block represents a vented tank.
The cistern can exchange energy with its surroundings, allowing its internal temperature and pressure to vary over time. Heat transfer occurs through convection, where fluid enters or leaves the tank, and conduction, where heat energy passes through the walls of the tank and the fluid itself as it enters the tank.
A schematic of the tank is shown in the figure.
The tank can have up to six inlet ports, from A to F. The pressure at the inlet ports of the tank is the sum of the constant pressure in the tank, set in the unit parameters or by an external signal, and the hydrostatic pressure due to the height of the inlet port location.
Heat transfer through the tank walls is modelled using the H thermal port. The temperature set at this port is the temperature of the liquid in the tank.
The volume of liquid
The volume of liquid in the tank is determined from the total mass flow into the tank:
where
- is the total mass of liquid in the tank entering through all ports;
- is the density of the liquid.
Conservation of mass
The equation of conservation of mass in the liquid volume of the tank has the form:
where
- is the mass change of the liquid;
- denotes the mass flow rate of liquid flowing into the tank through the port A, B, C, D, E, F.
Conservation of momentum
The equation of conservation of momentum in the volume of the tank liquid for the port A, B, C, D, E, F is of the form:
where
- liquid pressure at the inlet A, B, C, D, E, F;
- is the constant pressure in the tank;
- dynamic pressure:
When the flow is directed into the tank, the incoming jet disperses into a large volume of liquid, loses momentum, causing to become greater than 0. When the liquid flows out of the tank, the liquid in the volume is accelerated at the port and becomes 0.
- the density of the liquid at the inlet A, B, C, D, E, F;
- the cross-sectional area of the inlet port into the tank;
- free fall acceleration;
- liquid level in the tank, or height, relative to the bottom of the tank;
- height of the inlet port location relative to the bottom of the tank.
Conservation of energy
The equation of conservation of energy in the volume of the tank liquid has the form:
where:
- heat capacity of the liquid;
- isobaric bulk modulus of elasticity of liquid;
- liquid temperature;
- denotes energy fluxes entering the tank at the input of A, B, C, D, E, F;
- enthalpy of liquid;
- is the flow of thermal energy entering the tank through the H port.
To set a constant pressure that is not equal to atmospheric pressure, set the parameters to Constant specified pressure and specify the pressure value with the parameters Tank pressurization.
To set a variable tank pressure, set this parameter to a value of Variable pressure and supply the tank pressure value as a scalar to the P port.
#Tank pressurization —
user-defined tank pressure
Pa | GPa | MPa | atm | bar | kPa | ksi | psi | uPa | kbar
Details
User-definable tank pressure.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set parameter Pressurization specification value Constant specified pressure.
Values
Pa | GPa | MPa | atm | bar | kPa | ksi | psi | uPa | kbar
Default value
0.101325 MPa
Program usage name
p_specified
Evaluatable
Yes
#Tank volume parameterization —
tank area characteristics
Constant cross-section area | Tabulated data - volume vs. level
Details
Specifies the characteristics of the tank area.
This parameters is used to determine the liquid level in the tank. If you want to model a tank with a variable cross-sectional area over the height of the tank, you can provide data for the tank volume as a function of the liquid level using the option Tabulated data - volume vs. level.
Values
Constant cross-section area | Tabulated data - volume vs. level
Default value
Constant cross-section area
Program usage name
volume_parameterization
Evaluatable
No
#Tank cross-sectional area —
Cross-sectional area of the tank
m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
The cross-sectional area of the tank in the horizontal plane.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set parameter Tank volume parameterization value Constant cross-section area.
#Liquid level vector —
vector of liquid level values in the tank
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Vector of liquid level values in the tank for the tabular parameterization of the variable tank area. The values in this vector correspond to the values in the parameters Liquid volume vector. The elements must be positive and listed in ascending order. The first element must be equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameter Tank volume parameterization value Tabulated data - volume vs. level.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.0, 3.0, 5.0] m
Program usage name
level_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Liquid volume vector —
vector of liquid volume values in the tank
l | gal | igal | m^3 | cm^3 | ft^3 | in^3 | km^3 | mi^3 | mm^3 | um^3 | yd^3 | N*m/Pa | N*m/bar | lbf*ft/psi | ft*lbf/psi
Details
Vector of tank liquid volume values for the tabular parameterization of the tank area variable. The values in this vector correspond to the values in the parameters Liquid level vector. The elements must be positive and listed in ascending order. The first element must be equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameter Tank volume parameterization value Tabulated data - volume vs. level.
#Height vector for inlets A and B —
vector of height of ports A and B m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Port height vector for enabled input ports A and B. Parameters Height vector for inlets A and B is a vector of values corresponding to the height of each input port starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than or equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 2.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.1, 0.1] m
Program usage name
ports_ab_height_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A and B —
vector of cross-sectional areas of input ports A and B m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
Vector of cross-sectional areas of tank inlets for included inlet ports A and B. Parameters Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A and B is a vector of values corresponding to the cross-sectional area of each inlet port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 2.
#Height vector for inlets A, B, and C —
vector of height of ports A, B and C m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Port height vector for enabled input ports A, B and C. Parameters Height vector for inlets A, B, and C is a vector of values corresponding to the height of each input port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than or equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 3.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.1, 0.1, 0.1] m
Program usage name
ports_abc_height_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, and C —
vector of cross-sectional areas of input ports A, B and C m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
Vector of cross-sectional areas of tank inlets for included inlet ports A, B and C. Parameters Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, and C is a vector of values corresponding to the cross-sectional area of each inlet port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 3.
#Height vector for inlets A, B, C and D —
vector of height of ports A, B, C and D m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Port height vector for enabled input ports A, B, C and D. Parameters Height vector for inlets A, B, C and D is a vector of values corresponding to the height of each input port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than or equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 4.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1] m
Program usage name
ports_abcd_height_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C and D —
vector of cross-sectional areas of the input ports A, B, C and D m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
Vector of cross-sectional areas of tank inlets for included inlet ports A, B, C and D. Parameters Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C and D is a vector of values corresponding to the cross-sectional area of each inlet port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameters to Number of inlets one of the values: 4.
#Height vector for inlets A, B, C, D and E —
vector of height of ports A, B, C, D and E m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Port height vector for enabled input ports A, B, C, D and E. Parameters Height vector for inlets A, B, C, D and E is a vector of values corresponding to the height of each input port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than or equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameter Number of inlets value 5.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1] m
Program usage name
ports_abcde_height_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C, D and E —
vector of cross-sectional areas of input ports A, B, C, D and E m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
Vector of cross-sectional areas of tank inlets for included inlet ports A, B, C, D and E. Parameters Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C, D and E is a vector of values corresponding to the cross-sectional area of each inlet port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameter Number of inlets value 5.
#Height vector for inlets A, B, C, D, E and F —
vector of height of ports A, B, C, D, E and F m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Details
Port height vector for enabled input ports A, B, C, D, E and F. Parameters Height vector for inlets A, B, C, D, E and F is a vector of values corresponding to the height of each input port, starting with port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than or equal to 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set the parameter Number of inlets value 6.
Values
m | cm | ft | in | km | mi | mm | um | yd
Default value
[0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1] m
Program usage name
ports_abcdef_height_vector
Evaluatable
Yes
#Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C, D, E and F —
vector of cross-sectional areas of input ports A, B, C, D, E and F m^2 | cm^2 | ft^2 | in^2 | km^2 | mi^2 | mm^2 | um^2 | yd^2
Details
Vector of cross-sectional areas of tank inlets for included inlet ports A, B, C, D, E and F. The parameters Cross-sectional area vector for inlets A, B, C, D, E and F is a vector of values corresponding to the cross-sectional area of each inlet port, starting from port A. Each element of this vector must be greater than 0.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set parameters Number of inlets value 6.
#Liquid level below inlet height —
notification of low liquid level in the tank
None | Warning | Error
Details
Whether to be notified if the tank liquid level drops below the port inlet elevation during the simulation. Set this parameter to a value of `Warning`if you want to be notified when this happens during a simulation. Set the value to `Error`if you want the simulation to stop when this happens.
Values
None | Warning | Error
Default value
Error
Program usage name
low_level_assert_action
Evaluatable
No
#Liquid volume above max capacity —
notification of excess tank volume
None | Warning | Error
Details
Whether to be notified if the volume of liquid in the tank exceeds the maximum tank capacity during the simulation. Set this parameter to `Warning`if you want to be notified when this happens during a simulation. Set the value to `Error`if you want the simulation to stop when this happens.
Values
None | Warning | Error
Default value
None
Program usage name
capacity_assert_action
Evaluatable
No
#Maximum tank capacity —
tank filling limit
l | gal | igal | m^3 | cm^3 | ft^3 | in^3 | km^3 | mi^3 | mm^3 | um^3 | yd^3 | N*m/Pa | N*m/bar | lbf*ft/psi | ft*lbf/psi
Details
Tank filling limit.
Dependencies
To use this parameter, set parameter Liquid volume above max capacity value Warning or Error.