Simulation and optimal control for a long‐distance water diversion project under different rainfall types: A case study in the Middle Route of China's South‐to‐North Water Diversion Project*

Abstract

AbstractRainfall and rainstorms pose potential risks and significant threats to open‐channel water diversion projects. In long‐distance water diversion projects, it is difficult to observe the hydraulic response through measured data directly and comprehensively. Without accurate hydraulic responses and advanced control strategies for the different rainfall types, operators or decision‐makers are unable to respond effectively to hydraulic changes in the case of sudden occurrences of rainfall or rainstorms. In this study, a simulation and optimal control model focusing on solving the Saint Venant equation based on the computational finite difference method and the combined particle swarm optimization algorithm, was established and applied to a long‐distance water diversion project, namely the Middle Route of the South‐to‐North Water Diversion Project, China, to analyse the hydraulic response and control the disturbance of various rainfall types. The simulation model was validated based on the calculation results, indicating that the simulation model yielded a relatively high precision with an error margin of 2.5%. The optimal control model can effectively reduce the maximum increase in water level caused by the different rainfall types in the range of 0.10–0.20 m.