In the field of data processing, the common practice is to interpret tracer-determined residence time distributions (RTDs) of particles. through different arrangements of elementary flow models. However, such analysis needs an a priori chosen arrangement of these models, and some information:carried by. the RTD curve may be lost. This paper presents a competitive method based on adaptive filtering in a z-transform domain, and it may give better insight into flow patterns in a steady-state flow system. A physical interpretation of the transfer function was,developed. The application of this modelling to the interpretation of radiotracer data from recent studies in different industry sectors is presented.