Discrete-time Dynamic Models PDF

Preface

This book is intended as a reference for anyone interested in the development of discrete-time dynamic models to approximate or predict the evolution of complex physical systems. Because I spent 17 years with the DuPont company, most of the examples discussed in this book have a strong process control flavor, but the ideas presented here certainly have much wider applicability, particularly ih areas like nonlinear digital signal processing, model-based fault detection, or the newly emerging field of mechatronics, involving integrated microcomputer-based control of electromechanical systems. The general subject of model development is a large one, and this book makes no attempt to cover all of it. Instead, the principal focus here is on the first step in the model development process: that of model structure selection. In fact, the original motivation for this book was the observation that many papers appearing in the literature proceeded roughly as follows: "We investigate the utility of nonlinear model structure X in developing controllers for physical system P .... " The question of why this particular model structure was chosen-or indeed, what other model structures might be - reasonable alternatives-was too seldom addressed, yet these questions seemed in many ways the most difficult. The intent of this book is to provide some useful guidance in dealing with these questions.