System identification of an open water channel

Abstract

In this paper, models of the water level in an irrigation channel are derived from system identification experiments. We present the complete system identification procedure from experiment design to model validation, taking into account prior physical information and that the intended use of the models is prediction and control. It is shown that first and second order models capture the main trends in the data well. It is also shown that a third order nonlinear model with the ability to represent wave dynamics gives remarkably accurate predictions. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.