Advances in PLC-Based Canal Automation
	ITRC Report No.	P 02-001
	Web Address	http://www.itrc.org/papers/advinplc/advances.pdf
	Length	13 pages
	Authors	Charles M. Burt and Xianshu Piao
	Presented	July 9-12, 2002 USCID conference on Energy, Climate, Environment and Water - Issues and Opportunities for Irrigation and Drainage.  San Luis Obispo, CA

Summary

A short history of canal automation is given.  PLC-based canal automation is relatively new.  Advances in PLC-based canal automation are listed.  Also listed are some of the remaining challenges.  Recent advances have been made in understanding unsteady flow simulation procedures, the form of the control algorithms used, the tuning procedures for these control algorithms, and the field programming of the algorithms into PLCs.  The experiences of the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) in automating a variety of canals with upstream and downstream control are given.