GoRoSoBo simplified: an accurate feedback control algorithm in real time for irrigation canals

An irrigation canal is a hydraulic system whose main objective is to convey water from a source (dam, river) to different users. Such systems can be very large (several tens or hundreds of kilometers), characterized by time delays and non-linear dynamics, strong unknown perturbations and interactions among subsystems. In order to fulfill the requirements of canal users, the water manager must control all water deliveries during the irrigation cycle (or irrigation program) calculating the gate positions of the canal according to the water demands in real time. Initially, our overall control diagram in real time is mainly represented by two algorithms, the canal survey estimation algorithm (this algorithm estimates the water level and velocity along the irrigation canal during a past time horizon) and GoRoSoBo algorithm (feedback control algorithm operating in real time). Regarding long canals with several gates and pumps operating in a short period of time for a long predictive horizon, the initial version of GoRoSoBo algorithms would spend too much time calculating the canal gate position in real time. This is the reason why we have upgraded the code of the GoRoSoBo algorithm, saving in computational time around 85%, in order to operate in real time.