Summary

We have described the use of an elegant experiment for reinforcing the theoretical content of a typical graduate control course. Although the overall physics of the process are not very sophisticated, we have shown that the system exhibits rich behavior which can be used to exercise principles in modeling, analysis, and advanced control design. The use of a PC-based DCS coupled with MATLAB/Simulink was particularly effective in the implementation of the laboratory control process. The PC-based system was more flexible than traditional DCS systems, and the DDE interface facilitated a range of complex control designs that are appropriate for the graduate level. Our ongoing efforts with this experiment include the use of the Four Tank System in a multidisciplinary control engineering laboratory. The course was first offered in the Spring of 1999 as a senior-level elective, and drew students from chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering. We plan to report our experiences with this implementation in a future publication.