Gaussian and boolean weighted models to represent variable dynamics of open channel systems

The modeling of nonlinear real-life systems subject to parameters variation is a major research problem. In this paper, a weighted combination of multiple local models is proposed to represent the dynamics of an open channel system. The multimodelling strategy followed consists in the determination of a finite number of models along with appropriate weights functions. The families of Gaussian and Boolean weights functions are particularly studied and compared in various aspects on an application example. For the purpose of supervision, the approach of composite linear local models appears to be an interesting alternative to the use of Saint Venant partial differential equations. The efficiency of the multimodelling methods is shown by simulation within the framework of a dam-gallery system.