Volume Compensation Method for Routing Irrigation Canal Demand Changes

This paper examines the problem of routing known water demands through gate-controlled, open-channel irrigation delivery systems. Volume-compensation principles were used to route multiple demands in multiple-pool canal systems. The volume-compensation method schedules each demand change individually under the assumption of a series of steady states and superimposes the individual results. Volume-compensation routing schedules were computed for two of the test cases proposed by the ASCE Task Committee on Canal Automation. Alternative routing schedules were computed with the gate-stroking method, which is an inverse solution of the unsteadyflow equations. Both solutions were tested through unsteady-flow simulation. While not as effective as gate-stroking solutions, volumecompensation solutions performed satisfactorily under ideal flow control conditions. When subjected to realistic operational constraints, specifically constraints on the flow regulation interval, and also to incorrect canal hydraulic roughness information, both methods performed similarly. DOI: 10.1061/ ASCE 0733-9437 2005 131:6 494 CE Database subject headings: Open channel flow; Flow control; Computer aided scheduling; Routing; Delay time; Volume change; Irrigation districts; Canals; Water demand.