Blog 6

OPTIMIZATION OF REGIONAL STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
By Pradeep Kumar Behera, Fabian Papa, and Barry J. Adams

Summary

This paper presents dynamic programming optimization methodologies which seek to minimize the cost associated with detention storage. The objective function that is minimized is constrained by two environmental constraints that the regional outlet must satisfy: 1) environmental regulations for runoff quantity and 2) environmental regulations for runoff quality. The primary cost associated with storm-water detention ponds – and the cost which are used in the objective function - is the land which the detention pond occupies and the initial construction, operation, and maintenance costs. It should be noted that an optimizing methodology is presented for determining the design parameters of a single storm-water management pond and is then expanded (using dynamic programming as mentioned earlier) to a multiple parallel catchment system (Behera 107).
Numerous inputs are entered into the model (you’ll have to read the paper if you want to know what they all are because I’m sure not going to list them all) but there is only one thing minimized and that is the cost of all detention ponds for the desired levels of runoff and pollution control.


Discussion

I really enjoyed this paper because the basic methodologies and techniques used to solve the optimization problem can be easily applied to any other real-world system with any number of catchments (although the paper only used three). In addition, the decision variables and constraints of this model can be easily adjusted to meet different requirements of either the developer, the engineer or various government regulations – something that adds even more flexibility and applicability to the model. My understanding of DP is still incomplete but I hope by the end of the semester we will all have enough expertise in the subject to be able to implement research such as this.