Simscape Fluids: Modeling elevation differences and volume limits in Tank (TL) blocks

I am modeling a thermal liquid cooling system in Simscape Fluids with three tanks:

• One primary tank at ground level
• Two secondary tanks located slightly above the primary tank
• Each tank has a total volume of 2 liters

All tanks are modeled using the Tank (TL) block and are connected via pipes.

I am facing the following issues:

1. Elevation difference:I am unable to find any parameter in the Tank (TL) block to specify the height difference between tanks. How can I model the effect of elevation (hydrostatic pressure difference, ρgh) between tanks at different heights?
2. Tank overfilling: Even when the primary tank reaches its maximum capacity (2 liters), it continues to accept fluid beyond this limit. How can I enforce a hard volume limit or restrict inflow once the tank is full?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

[Yifeng Tang]

The Pipe (TL) from Simscape Fluids, not the foundation library, allows you to specify elevation change. There is also a partially filled pipe block that can help with special cases (like partially drained).

There is an option in the Tank block to trigger warning or error or nothing when the tank is full. I doubt that's what you want though. I wonder what the mechanism is in the real system that keeps liquid from entering. Pressure builds up? The tank block allows you to specify the pressure in the tank. You can use a PS lookup table to increase the internal pressure by a lot once the level (L port) reaches a certain value. You can also use a valve to close the port based on L value.