Variable Area Pneumatic Orifice
Sharp-edged variable-area orifice in pneumatic systems
Library
None (example custom library)
Description
Note
As of Release R2016b, the Gas block library replaces the Pneumatic library as the recommended way of modeling pneumatic systems. The former Pneumatic library is now included in the product installation as an example custom library. The pneumatic domain definition is still provided with the software, and all the pneumatic blocks in your legacy models continue to work as before. However, these blocks no longer receive full production support and can be removed in a future release.
The Variable Area Pneumatic Orifice block models the flow rate of an ideal gas through a sharp-edged variable-area orifice. The area of the orifice is expected to be computed outside the block and imported via the AR physical signal connection. The Minimum area parameter specifies the minimum orifice area value. If the input signal falls below this level (for example, turns negative), the area is saturated to this value.
The flow rate through the orifice is proportional to the orifice area and the pressure differential across the orifice.
where
G | Mass flow rate |
Cd | Discharge coefficient, to account for effective loss of area due to orifice shape |
A | Orifice cross-sectional area |
pi, po | Absolute pressures at the orifice inlet and outlet, respectively. The inlet and outlet change depending on flow direction. For positive flow (G > 0), pi = pA, otherwise pi = pB. |
γ | The ratio of specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume, cp / cv |
R | Specific gas constant |
T | Absolute gas temperature |
The choked flow occurs at the critical pressure ratio defined by
after which the flow rate depends on the inlet pressure only and is computed with the expression
The square root relationship has infinite gradient at zero flow, which can present numerical solver difficulties. Therefore, for very small pressure differences, defined by po / pi > 0.999, the flow equation is replaced by a linear flow-pressure relationship
where k is a constant such that the flow predicted for po / pi is the same as that predicted by the original flow equation for po / pi = 0.999.
The heat flow out of the orifice is assumed equal to the heat flow into the orifice, based on the following considerations:
The orifice is square-edged or sharp-edged, and as such is characterized by an abrupt change of the downstream area. This means that practically all the dynamic pressure is lost in the expansion.
The lost energy appears in the form of internal energy that rises the output temperature and makes it very close to the inlet temperature.
Therefore, qi = qo, where qi and qo are the input and output heat flows, respectively.
The block positive direction is from port A to port B. This means that the flow rate is positive if it flows from A to B.
Variables
To set the priority and initial target values for the block variables prior to simulation, use the Initial Targets section in the block dialog box or Property Inspector. For more information, see Set Priority and Initial Target for Block Variables.
Nominal values provide a way to specify the expected magnitude of a variable in a model. Using system scaling based on nominal values increases the simulation robustness. Nominal values can come from different sources, one of which is the Nominal Values section in the block dialog box or Property Inspector. For more information, see Modify Nominal Values for a Block Variable.
Basic Assumptions and Limitations
The gas is ideal.
Specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume, cp and cv, are constant.
The process is adiabatic, that is, there is no heat transfer with the environment.
Gravitational effects can be neglected.
The orifice adds no net heat to the flow.
Parameters
- Discharge coefficient, Cd
Semi-empirical parameter for orifice capacity characterization. Its value depends on the geometrical properties of the orifice, and usually is provided in textbooks or manufacturer data sheets. The default value is
0.82
.- Minimum area
Specifies the minimum orifice area value. If the input signal falls below this level (for example, turns negative), the area is saturated to this value. The default value is
1e-12
m^2.
Ports
The block has the following ports:
A
Pneumatic conserving port associated with the orifice inlet for positive flow.
B
Pneumatic conserving port associated with the orifice outlet for positive flow.
AR
Physical signal port that provides the value of the orifice area.
Version History
Introduced in R2009b