Minimum Cost Design of Irrigation Canals Using Probabilistic Global Search Lausanne

Cost-effective design of irrigation canals is essential for the planning and management of irrigation projects. In this study, the minimum cost design of irrigation canals is performed by considering the excavation cost, lining cost, cost for water losses and land acquisition cost. The complex non-linear and non-convex optimization model of irrigation canal design is solved using a recently developed meta-heuristic tool, namely probabilistic global search Lausanne (PGSL). The solutions are found to be competent with those reported based on classical procedures while applied for an example problem. To suit for real field applications, two site-specific constraints are added to the model for the optimal design of trapezoidal canals. The study shows the potential of the proposed PGSL approach to perform comprehensive design of irrigation canals.