Solving numerical equations of hydraulic problems using particle swarm optimization

This paper describes how to solve numerical equations of hydraulic problems that involve the calculation of free and forced channels. The problem is modeled by using the Manning equation. This equation allows the calculation of outflows, inclination of the channels, roughness, loss of energy and other parameters that are a function of the geometry of the channels. Since this equation presents high non-linearity, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find a closed solution. We propose an alternative approach to obtain solution by using particle swarm optimization (PSO).