Routing demand changes with volume compensation: an update.

Using the gate-stroking method, this paper shows that a complex open-channel flow feedforward control problem can be treated as a series oflinearly additive single flow-change control problems. A key element of this approach is determining the initial conditions for each single flow-change problem. An inadequate choice of initial conditions will result in under or overestimation of the canal storage volume change needed for the new steady-state conditions. These findings provide support to a simple feedforward control scheme based on volume compensation and time delay. An example is used to demonstrate that the simple scheduling approach is nearly as effective in controlling water levels as the complex gate-stroking approach.