Control of Cylinder-Gas Source with Minimization of its Required Capacity

Abstract

A method is proposed for synthesizing laws of control of a gas source consisting of cylinders (gas holders) combined in a section. The control law ensures minimization of the required gas source capacity by partial shutting and opening of the outflow line of its sections at the precalculated points of time in accordance with known programmed gas requirement. The required gas source capacity can be reduced by more complete evacuation of a part of its sections at consumption program time intervals with a low level of the desired pressure and by preserving a high pressure for forthcoming time intervals only in one section or in some part of the sections of the source. A mathematical formulation of the problem to be solved is given and a numerical method of solution of the problem is proposed. An example of synthesis of the law of control of sectioned cylinder-nitrogen source, which demonstrates the possibility of substantial reduction of the required cylinder-gas source volume for use of the control law synthesized by the proposed method is discussed.