Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL)

R2026b

Measure pressure and temperature in thermal liquid networks

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Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL) block

To add a block to a model, double-click the canvas and start typing the block name. Then, select the block from the list.

Libraries:
Simscape / Foundation Library / Thermal Liquid / Sensors

Description

The Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL) block represents an ideal sensor that measures pressure and temperature in a thermal liquid network. There is no mass or energy flow through the sensor.

The sensor contains an implicit reference node, which means that you need only one port, port A, to make absolute measurements of pressure or temperature. Expose the second port, port B, only if you need to measure the difference in pressure or temperature between two nodes in the model. The measurements are positive when the values at port A are greater than the values at port B.

Four physical signal ports are available to output the measurement data:

• Port Pa outputs the absolute pressure.

• Port Pg outputs the gauge pressure.

• Port P outputs the pressure difference across the sensor.

• Port T outputs the temperature.

These ports have conditional port visibility on the block icon. Use the block parameters to expose only the ports that you need for measurements in a particular model.

Connect the measurement ports to PS-Simulink Converter blocks to transform the output physical signals into Simulink^® signals, for example, for plotting or additional data processing.

Examples

Optimal Pipeline Geometry for Heated Oil Transportation

Model shows the opposing effects of viscous warming and conductive cooling on the temperature of a buried pipeline segment for heated oil transportation. A requirement for these systems is for the crude oil to stay well above the pour point to provide a continuous steady flow. The system is modeled using the Thermal Liquid Foundation Library. Crude oil thermodynamic properties are stored in workspace matrices and are used to populate the Thermal Liquid Settings block mask parameters.

• Open Model

Hydraulic Fluid Warming Due to Losses

Model shows how Foundation Library thermal liquid components can be used to estimate the impact of viscous losses on an actuating system's temperature over a long time scale. A pump supplies energy to the system to actuate a double-acting cylinder periodically. The pressure losses within directional valve converts the energy into heat. Heat transfer through the cylinder casing to the environment provides a heat sink.

• Open Model

Water Hammer Effect

Model shows how the Thermal Liquid foundation library can be used to model water hammer in a long pipe. After slowly establishing a steady flow within the pipe by opening a valve accordingly, the same valve is shut within a few milliseconds. This triggers a water hammer effect. The valve is modeled using a Variable Local Restriction (TL) block and the pipe is divided into four segments using the Pipe (TL) block. Breaking the pipe into more segments increases fidelity at the expense of simulation performance.

• Open Model

Ports

Output

Pa — Absolute pressure measurement, in Pascal (Pa)

physical signal

Physical signal output port for absolute pressure measurement.

Dependencies

To enable this port, set the Measurement reference parameter to Absolute, select the Pressure check box, and set the Pressure type parameter to Absolute pressure.

Programmatic Use

Port: Pa

Pg — Gauge pressure measurement, Pa

physical signal

Physical signal output port for gauge pressure measurement.

Dependencies

To enable this port, set the Measurement reference parameter to Absolute, select the Pressure check box, and set the Pressure type parameter to Gauge pressure.

Programmatic Use

Port: Pg

P — Pressure difference measurement, Pa

physical signal

Physical signal output port for pressure difference measurement.

Dependencies

To enable this port, set the Measurement reference parameter to Difference and select the Pressure check box.

Programmatic Use

Port: P

T — Temperature measurement, K

physical signal

Physical signal output port for temperature measurement.

Dependencies

To enable this port, select the Temperature check box.

Programmatic Use

Port: T

Conserving

A — Sensor inlet

thermal liquid

Thermal liquid conserving port. Use this port to measure absolute pressure or temperature.

Programmatic Use

Port: A

B — Sensor outlet

thermal liquid

Thermal liquid conserving port. When the sensor measures absolute pressure or temperature, this port is hidden because the sensor contains an implicit reference node. Enable this port to measure relative pressure or temperature between two nodes in the model. The measurements are positive when the values at port A are greater than the values at port B.

Dependencies

To enable this port, set the Measurement reference parameter to Difference.

Programmatic Use

Port: B

Parameters

Measurement reference — Select between absolute and relative measurements

Absolute (default) | Difference

Select between absolute and relative measurements:

• Absolute — The sensor measures pressure and temperature at port A. The sensor contains an implicit reference node, which means that you need only one port to make absolute measurements.

• Difference — The sensor measures the difference in pressure or temperature between two nodes in the model. Selecting this option exposes port B on the block icon.

Programmatic Use

Parameter:	reference
Values:	"foundation.enum.MeasurementReference.absolute" | "foundation.enum.MeasurementReference.difference"

Pressure — Control output port visibility for measuring pressure

On (default) | Off

Selecting this check box exposes the output port Pa, Pg, or P, to let you measure pressure.

Programmatic Use

Parameter:	pressure
Values:	"true" | "false"

Pressure type — Select between absolute and gauge pressure

Absolute pressure (default) | Gauge pressure

Select whether the sensor measures absolute or gauge pressure:

• Absolute pressure — The sensor measures absolute pressure at port A. Selecting this option exposes port Pa on the block icon.

• Gauge pressure — The sensor measures gauge pressure at port A. Selecting this option exposes port Pg on the block icon.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Measurement reference to Absolute and select the Pressure check box.

Programmatic Use

Parameter:	pressure_spec
Values:	"foundation.enum.PressureMeasementSpec.Absolute" | "foundation.enum.PressureMeasementSpec.Gauge"

Temperature — Control output port visibility for measuring temperature

Off (default) | On

Selecting this check box exposes the output port T, which lets you measure temperature.

Programmatic Use

Parameter:	temperature
Values:	"true" | "false"

Programmatic Use: Add Block

To add the block programmatically, use the add_block function with one of these library block paths as the source.

"fl_lib/Thermal Liquid/Sensors/Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL)"

Example: add_block("fl_lib/Thermal Liquid/Sensors/Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL)","myModel/myBlock",MakeNameUnique="on")

For information about programmatic access to individual block parameters, see the Programmatic Use section of parameter descriptions on this page.

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.

Version History

Introduced in R2013b

R2023a: Usability enhancement for thermal liquid sensors

Thermal liquid sensor blocks with multiple output ports now have conditional port visibility on the block icon. You can use the block parameters to expose only the ports that you need for measurements in a particular model.

Additionally, the Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL) block now contains an implicit reference node, which means that you need only one port to make absolute measurements of pressure or temperature. Expose the second port only if you need to measure the difference in pressure or temperature between two nodes in the model.

In previous releases, to measure the absolute pressure and absolute temperature at port A, you needed to connect port B to an Absolute Reference (TL) block. This is no longer necessary because you can now make absolute measurements by setting the Measurement reference parameter to Absolute, but existing models that have these connections continue to work as before.

There is no compatibility impact when you use the Pressure & Temperature Sensor (TL) block in your models. However, if you use this block in your custom composite components, you need to update the composite component code.

Old Syntax	New Syntax
sensor = foundation.thermal_liquid.sensors.pressure_temperature_sensor;	sensor = foundation.thermal_liquid.sensors.pressure_temperature_sensor(reference=foundation.enum.MeasurementReference.difference, temperature=true);