Fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filtering in the control of irrigation canals

A fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filtering methodology was developed for the automatic control of an irrigation canal system under unknown disturbances (water withdrawals) acting in the canal. Using a linearized finite difference model of open channel flow, the canal operation problem was formulated as an optimal control problem and an algorithm for gate opening in the presence of arbitrary external disturbances (changes in flow rates) was derived. Based on the linear optimal control theory, the linear quadratic regulator (LQR), assuming all the state variables (flow depths and flow rates) were available, was designed to generate control input (optimal gate opening). As it was expensive to measure all the state variables (flow rates and flow depths) in a canal system, a fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filter and traditional Kalman filter were designed to estimate the values for the state variables that were not measured but were needed in the feedback loop. The performances of the state estimators designed using the fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filter methodology and the traditional Kalman filtering technique were compared with the results obtained using the LQR (target loop function). The results of the present study indicated that the performance of the fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filter was far superior to the performance of the observer design based upon the traditional Kalman filter approach. The obvious advantages of the fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filter were the prevention of filter divergence and ease of implementation. As the fuzzy logic adaptive Kalman filter requires smaller number of state variables for the acceptable accuracy therefore, it would need less computational effort in the control of irrigation canals. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.