Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
Optimization of Water Allocation in Canal
Systems of Chengai Irrigation Area
Zhiliang Wang, Zhenmin Zhou
(North China College of WRHP, Zhengzhou, Henan 450045, China)
Abstract: Chengai Yellow River Irrigation Area is situated in Liangshan County, Shandong Province,
China. In history, no formalized irrigation regulations exist because of limitations on the project facilities
and management capability. The utilization of water resources was unreasonable with serious waste of
water and prolonged rotations and low irrigation benefits. Potential benefits have not been realized. With
the development of agriculture production, it was considered urgently necessary to carry out research on
the optimum water allocation in Chengai Yellow River Irrigation Area using system engineering
methodology. Therefore, Based on the principle of system engineering and in accordance with the
secondary main canal of the Chengai Yellow Irrigation Area, and taking the maximum irrigation benefits
and minimum irrigation rotation as the objectives, the optimal crop pattern and irrigation water allocation
models have been developed. Through calculations, the desirable optimal crop pattern and water
allocation results were achieved. It proved in practice that the present research play very important role in
water saving, irrigation and production improvement, and facilitation of irrigation area scientific
management level.[Nature and Science, 2004;2(1):89-94].
Key words: irrigation canal systems; crop pattern; optimal water allocation model
rotations. Potential benefits have not been realized.
1 Introduction Therefore, it was considered urgently necessary to carry
out research on optimum water allocation in Chengai
Chengai Yellow River Irrigation Area covers a total Yellow River Irrigation Area using system engineering
area of 542 km2, of which 38000 ha are farmland, 20000 methodology.
ha are gravity irrigated and 18000 ha lift irrigated. Main The present research is based on the North Main
crops are wheat, maize, beans as well as other crops Canal System in the gravity irrigation area, which
such as millet, sweet potatoes and sorghum, etc. includes 18 branch canals (Table 1). A mathematical
The irrigation area is situated in the warm model was established to determine the optimum crop
temperature zone, with a continental monsoon climate. patterns and water allocations with the minimum
The average annual precipitation is only 647 mm, but rotation times. Satisfactory results were obtained from
evaporation reaches 1365 mm, which corresponds to the analysis and may be extended into the whole
semi-arid conditions. The distribution of rainfall is irrigation area.
extremely uneven in time and space, resulting in serious
water shortages. The principal source of water is the 2 Optimization Model for the Optimal
Yellow River supplementing groundwater. The annual Crop Pattern
diversion from the Yellow River is 150 million m3 and
the annual exploitation of groundwater amounts to 105 In order to utilize the water resources reasonably,
million m3. to match water supply and requirement and reach the
No formalized irrigation regulations exist because maximum economic benefit, the optimum crop pattern
of limitations in the project facilities and in management for each branch canal was first determined. Linear
capability. The utilization of water resources was programming was adopted in the present study to apply
unreasonable with serious waste of water and prolonged an optimization model to each branch canal separately.
Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
Table 1 Parameters of the north main canal system in Chengai irrigation area
Irrigated Flow
Length Distance to the head
CANAL Area Capacity
(m) of Main Canal (m)
(ha) (m3 /s)
North Main Canal 10100 1018.86 2.50 0
Branch 1 1300 52.00 0.42 87O
Branch 2 1279 61.40 0.37 1150
Branch 3 1262 49.40 0.37 1740
Branch 4 1260 67.13 0.37 2410
Branch 5 1307 45.73 0.37 3100
Branch 6 1308 61.67 0.20 3470 (Lined)
Branch 7 1340 66.00 0.42 3990 (Lined)
Branch 8 1389 69.33 0.42 4670
Branch 9 1420 53.33 0.37 5200
Branch 10 600 27.00 0.37 5900
Branch 11 450 20.27 0.37 6250
Branch 12 1420 46.87 0.42 6730
Branch 13 1390 91.73 0.42 7220
Branch 14 1320 82.20 0.67 8050
Branch 15 620 14.27 0.37 8440
Branch 16 620 44.00 0.37 8700
Branch 17 1350 94.67 0.42 9420
Branch 18 790 71.87 0.37 10100
2.1 Selection of decision variables function is the maximum net benefit, for which the
There are five kinds of crops in Chengai Yellow formula is as follows:
River Irrigation Area: wheat, maize, beans, cotton N N
and other food grains. In order to determine the MaxZi= ε ∑ Aij Pj ∆d j − E ∑ Aij (1)
optimum crop area irrigated by every branch canal, j =1 j =1
the areas of different crops irrigated by each branch
canal were selected as decision variables where:ε= irrigation benefit allocation coefficient
(parameters). Therefore, the selected decision (0.4 in the study).
variables are as follows: Pj = price of the crop j (＄/kg) (Table 2).
Ai,j = optimum planting area of crop j in the ith branch Δdj = increased output of crop j through irrigation
canal (ha). (kg/ha).
i = 1,2 ....... 18. E = annual operational fee in the gravity irrigated
j=1,2 ........ 5, where 1 stands for wheat, 2 for area (13.6 ＄/ha).
maize, 3 for beans, 4 for cotton, 5 represents other N = number of the crops (5 in the study).
food grains. i = canal reference number 1, 2, ... 18.
2.2 Design of the objective function j = crop characteristics reference number,
For the purposes of this paper, the objective 1, 2....5
Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
Table 2 Characteristics of crops in the north main canal system
CROPS Wheat Maize Beans Cotton others
Max. crop pattern* 0.90 0.60 0.20 0.25
Min. crop pattern* 0.80 0.50 0.12 0.11
3
Gross duty (m /ha) 1275 1125 1050 1125
Growth period (days) 255 110 120 165
price (＄/kg) 0.171 0.12 0.236 1.091
Output,1965(kg/ha) 765 1237.5 682.5 165
Output,2000(kg/ha) 4590 4875 2040 750
Increment (kg/ha) 3825 3637.5 1357.5 585
Increment through
261.4g 174.6 128.35 255.27 195.57
irrigation (＄/ha,)
(1)26/11-5/12
(2)10/3-18/3 (6)21/5-28/5 (5)3/4-7/4 (6)21/5-28/5
Irrigation periods (6)21/5-28/5
(3)3/4-17/4 (3)25/6-30/6 (7)21/6-24/6 (8)25/6-30/6
(4)11/5-20/5
2.3 Constraints constraint conditions are as follows:
In the calculation of the optimum crop area,
0.9Ai≥Ai,1≥0.8 Ai (ha) (wheat) (4)
besides the maximum objective function, the relevant
0.6Ai≥Ai,2≥0.5 Ai (ha) (maize) (5)
constraints must be included. These consist of
0.2Ai≥Ai,3≥0.12 Ai (ha) (beans) (6)
limitations of total area, maximum and minimum crop
0.25Ai≥Ai,4≥0.11 Ai (ha) (cotton) (7)
areas and water supply. They are as follows:
0.15Ai≥Ai,5≥0.11 Ai (ha) (others) (8)
2.3.1 Constraints of total area
2.3.3 Constraints of water supply
The combined crop area irrigated per branch canal
The irrigation area requires water supply 8 times
should be equal to or smaller than the total area irrigated
annually; specific irrigation periods can be seen in Table
by the canal. Considering the inter-plantation of wheat,
2. Every irrigation rotation should be finished within the
maize, beans and the other food grains, the sum of the
required time, otherwise the crop yields will be
areas planted in wheat and cotton should not be larger
influenced. The volume of water use can be obtained
than the total area controlled by the canal system. The
through calculation of crop area and the related
total planting area of maize, beans and the other food
irrigation duty (Table 2). The volume of water supply
grains should not be larger than the total area either, that
has been obtained from the maximum possible capacity
is:
of the North Main Canal. The constraints of water
Ai,1 + Ai,4 ≤ Ai (ha)... (2)
supply are as follow;
where: Ai = area irrigated by the ith branch canal
Qm × Ai
5
AijMk1≤ η mη bi × d k × 24 × 3600 (9)
F
and ∑A
j =2
i, j ≤ Ai (ha)... (3)
where: Mk1 = irrigation duty for crop 1 in kth
irrigation rotation (m3/ha),
2.3.2 Constraints of maximum and minimum planting K = 1,2,3, ...
areas η m = water use coefficient in the main canal
According to local practice and the requirements of (0.92.),
contracted farmland, on every branch canal there are ηbi= water use coefficient in each branch canal,
maximum and minimum limitations on the planting area ηb6 = 0.99, ηb7= 0.9,
of different crops. The maximum and minimum ηbi =0.71 for other branch canals,
Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
dk = total days of the kth irrigation rotation, Ai,2 M8,2 + Ai,5M8,5
Qm= maximum diversion flow in the North Main
≤ η mη b,i Qm × Ai × d 8 × 24 × 3600 (13)
Canal (2.5 m3/s), F
F =irrigated area controlled by the North Main
The result is shown in Table 3. All the calculations
Canal (1019 ha),
were undertaken on the computer. The optimum crop
The influence of soil moisture content has not been
areas served by the branch canals and the objective
considered in the above formula for it is very difficult to
function values have been printed out (OBJ.FUNC).
forecast long-term soil moisture content. Therefore, the
Interactive dialogue was used. The following parameters
present paper selected the average irrigation duty to
should be input: k (number of branch canal), FK (area
analyse crop patterns.
controlled by branch canals),G2 (water use coefficient in
Because the first four irrigation rotations are for
branch canals), Qm(the maximum flow capacity in the
wheat, the conditions for wheat irrigation determine the
main canal).
water requirements; they can be merged into the one
equation (Eq. 4).
3 Optimum Water Allocation Based on the
The fifth rotation
Minimum Irrigation Rotation Time
Ai,4 M5,4 ≤η mηb,i Qm × Ai × d 5 × 24 × 3600 (10)
F A trial algorithm was used to calculate the
The sixth rotation minimum irrigation rotation required in the north main
Ai,2 M6,24 + Ai,3M6,3 + Ai,5 M6,5 canal irrigation systems for the optimum crop areas. The
optimum water allocation was calculated for different
≤ η mη b ,i Qm × Ai × d 6 × 24 × 3600 (11)
F branch canals under the condition of maximum flow in
the north main canal. The irrigation rotation order and
The seventh rotation
water diversion volume of each branch canal were
Ai,4 M7,4≤ η η Q m × A i × d × 24 × 3600 (12) regulated to realize the shortest irrigation rotation and
m b ,i 7
F
the optimum water allocation scheme.
The eighth rotation
Table 3 Results of crop optimization (ha)
CROPS OBJ.FUNC
Canals
1 2 3 4 5 ($)
1 46.280 31.20 7.280 5.720 7.80 13756.77
2 54.646 36.84 8.596 6.754 9.21 16243.57
3 43.966 29.64 6.916 5.434 7.41 13068.93
4 59.749 40.28 9.399 7.385 10.07 17760.34
5 40.703 27.44 6.403 5.031 6.86 12098.90
6 54.883 37.00 8.633 6.783 9.25 16314.11
7 58.74 39.60 9.24 7.26 9.90 17460.51
8 61.707 41.60 9.707 7.627 10.40 18342.35
9 47.467 32.00 7.467 5.867 8.00 14109.51
10 24.030 16.20 3.780 2.970 4.05 7142.94
11 18.037 12.16 2.837 2.229 3.04 5361.61
12 41.711 28.12 6.561 5.155 7.03 12398.72
13 81.643 55.04 12.843 10.091 13.76 24268.35
14 73.158 49.32 11.508 9.042 12.33 21746.28
15 12.697 8.56 1.997 1.569 2.14 3774.29
16 39.160 26.40 6.160 4.840 6.60 11640.34
17 84.253 56.80 13.253 10.413 14.20 25044.37
18 63.961 43.12 10.061 7.905 10.78 19012.55
Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
3.1 Decision variables 3.3.2 Constraints of minimum discharge
The discharge Qm in the north main canal for the In order to prevent the main and branch canal
rotations was selected as the decision variable. systems from silting up, the flow in the main and branch
3.2 Objective function canals should not be less than half of the maximum flow
The minimum irrigation duration (TK) related to capacity.
different irrigation rotations was selected as the QR≥Qm/2 (16)
objective function, that is: qRi≥qmi/2 (17)
M N in which: QR = practical flow diversion in the North
∑∑ A (M ij j − Wk )
Main Canal (m3/s).
MinTK = i = j j =1 (14)
Qm × η m × η b × 24 × 3600 qRi = practical discharge diversion in the branch
canal i (m3/s).
In which, Wk = soil moisture content (m3/ha).
qmi = maximum flow capacity in the branch canal
Qm = maximum discharge in the North Main Canal
i (m3/s).
(m3/s).
3.3.3 Constraint of irrigation rotation practice
3.3 Constraints
While regulating irrigation order, it is necessary to
3.3.1 Constraint of maximum discharge
irrigate from downstream to upstream in order to
The flow in the North Main Canal and the branch
canals cannot be greater than the maximum canal minimize water loss caused by evaporation and
capacities: infiltration, that is: i = 18,17,... 1.
Qmi≤Qm (15) In order to minimize the objective function and
in which: Qmi=the ith discharge diversion in the North guarantee irrigation from downstream to upstream,
Main Canal, i = 1,2 .... (m3/s). irrigation was ordered by branch canals.
Table 4 Optimum scheme of the minimum irrigation rotation
DAYS
CANALS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.38 0.42 0.42 0.
2 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.00 0.
3 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.37 0.37 0.00 0.
4 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.
5 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.37 0.37 0.
6 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.
7 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.
8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 O.O0 0.00 0.
11 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
12 0.00 0.25 0.25 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
13 0.42 0.21 0.21 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
14 0.35 0.66 0.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
15 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
16 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
17 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.
18 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 O.
Qm 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.28 1.48 0.
Nature and Science, 2(1), 2004, Wang and Zhou, Optimization of Water Allocation
data input is interactive, which is very convenient for
4 Analysis of Research Results application.
The results can be seen in Table 4. It shows that the Acknowledge
flow in the North Main Canal reaches maximum This research has been supported by IDSS developing for water
capacity in the first 8 days, and that flow is greater than Resources optimum allocation and management {20025700003}and
half of its capacity in the following 2 days, which can by Innovatory found in Henan Province.
prevent silting up in branch canals as well as control the
discharge diversion at the head of branch canals References
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