A sampled-data level control of nonlinear coupled-tanks

The object of this work is to highlight, on a physical coupled tanks system, the performances of a digital design of a continuous-time passivity based controller. The design considers the sampled-data model of the plant and provides better results compared to the emulations of given continuous-time controllers. A two-state continuous-time non-linear model is used to design the digital controller. A feedback passivating controller is developed in continuous-time from a suitable choice of the storage function V. The results show good performances of the controller when increasing the sampling period or the controllers gain.