Mobile Model Predictive control for the Évora irrigation test canal

Mobile Model Predictive control is a novel control technique for irrigation canals that optimizes the actions carried out by human operators. In this paper it is assessed preliminary by means of the numerical model of a reduced scale laboratory irrigation canal located in the facilities of the University of Évora (Portugal). Other control algorithms have also been tested by using a numerical model of the canal and compared with the novel control method: proportional integral control, linear quadratic regulator and centralized model predictive control. The results show that mobile model predictive control offers a performance comparable to that of fully automatic control despite being based exclusively on human operation