On the Modelling and Controller Design for the Outpouring Phase of the Pouring Process

Abstract:- The present work contributes towards modeling and control of the outpouring phase of a pouring process, where the liquid container is carried by a robotic manipulator. The dynamics of the liquid motion are approximated by the well-known pendulum-type model, where the length and the mass of the pendulum vary with time due to liquid outpouring. The dynamics of the liquid transfer structure, including the carrying manipulator, the container and the liquid, are approximated by the dynamics of a robotic structure that incorporates virtual prismatic joints and corresponding weightless links to represent variations of the liquid level and corresponding variations of the pendulum length within the tank. The performance of a two stage control design scheme on the control of liquid outpouring and the suppression of liquid sloshing during the outpouring phase of the pouring process is studied for the derived model using simulation results. The designed scheme combines a partial inverse dynamics controller with a PID controller, tuned with the use of a “metaheuristic ” search algorithm. Both controllers have been designed for a nominal model, ignoring the loss of liquid’s mass due to outpouring