Effect of Hydraulic and Geometrical Parameters of Skimming Wall on Controlling Sediment Entering Lateral Intakes Using Harmony Search Algorithm

In this article, the control over the inlet sediment into the lateral intakes incorporating parallel skimming walls is assessed using harmony search algorithm. The skimming walls are known as the structures constructed in front of the lateral intake and consisted of two plates, one of them is in oblique form and the other one is parallel to the flow. The parallel skimming walls direct the sediments toward the downstream of the main channel by forming a rotational flow, as a result the entry of sediments into the lateral intake is prevented. Using the experimental data obtained in the laboratory and Buckingham’s method, the dimensionless parameters were obtained. The parameters were nonlinearly transformed into the relations, in such a way that using harmony search algorithm almost 20,000 optimal points were obtained. In the present research, the relations between the dimensionless parameters were yielded by harmony search algorithm. The results indicate that the optimized maximum and minimum and mean values of CS1 for  governing equations is equal to 17%, 31% and 29%, respectively, relative to the observational maximum, minimum and mean values of CS1. For governing equation, the optimized maximum, minimum and mean values of CS2  exhibited error values of 11%, 4% and 31% relative to the observational maximum, minimum and mean value of CS2.