System Identification of an Open Water Channel

Abstract In this paper we derive models of the water level in an irrigation channel 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 a first order linear model captures the main trends in the data well, and together with prior information this model is probably sufficient for design of standard controllers. It is also shown that a higher order nonlinear model gives remarkably accurate predictions.