Identification of additive multivariable continuous-time systems

Multivariable parametric models are critical for designing, controlling, and optimizing the performance of engineered systems. The main objective of this paper is to develop a parametric identification strategy that delivers accurate and physically relevant models of multivariable systems using time-domain data. The introduced approach adopts an additive model structure, offering a parsimonious and interpretable representation of many physical systems, and employs a refined instrumental variable-based estimation algorithm. The developed identification method enables the estimation of parametric continuous-time additive models and is applicable to both open and closed-loop controlled systems. The performance of the estimator is demonstrated through numerical simulations and experimentally validated on a flexible beam system.