INFLUENCE OF CANAL GEOMETRY AND DYNAMICS ON CONTROLLABILITY

This paper presents the results of the Task: Committee on Canal Automa tion Algorithms with regard to the influence of canal properties on th e controllability of irrigation canals. While the control provided by individual algorithms was not evaluated, studies were performed to ill ustrate inherent hydraulic limitations-the inability of canal pools to recover rapidly from disturbances or Bow perturbations. Studies were performed in nondimensional form to develop a better understanding of how pool properties influence pool response. Three such studies were p erformed. First, nondimensional backwater curves were developed for a range of canal conditions. The second study involved the propagation o f waves initiated at the upstream end of a canal pool, as this is infl uenced by downstream boundary conditions, Finally, the response of poo ls to downstream withdrawals was examined in terms of their sluggish r ecovery even when the correct Bow change is applied upstream. These re sults will help in understanding how canal properties influence the ab ility of operators to effectively control a canal either manually or a utomatically, and should influence future design practices.