Controller configurations for irrigation channels derived from sequential minimum variance control

Abstract

In this paper we examine the feedback and feedforward paths of sequential minimum variance controllers for irrigation channels. From a water conservation point of view it makes sense to order the variables in importance from the downstream end of the channel to the upstream end with the flow over the last gate as the most important variable. The resulting controller configuration is essentially the distant downstream configuration commonly used in decentralised control of demand driven irrigation systems. In this configuration a gate controls the water level immediately upstream of the next downstream gate, and the last gate controls the flow over the last gate. This finding means that a dow..