Ant-colony-based simulation–optimization modeling for the design of a forced water pipeline system considering the effects of dynamic pressures

摘要

Valve and pump shut-off in water pipeline systems lead to transient flow. This flow is a complexnphenomenon and is potentially a very serious problem causing extra dynamic pressure in thensystem. Within the last few decades, the evolutionary and meta-heuristic algorithms, such asngenetic algorithms, simulated annealing. More recently, however, ant-colony optimizationnalgorithms have received considerable attention. In this paper the procedure and application ofnthe ant-colony optimization algorithm to the design of a water supply pipeline system,nconsidering dynamic pressures arising from valve closure, is presented. A simulation–noptimization interaction loop (SOIL) is defined that cycles between the steady-state and transientnflow modules to describe the hydraulics of the pipeline and ant colony optimization algorithm.nA hydraulic simulation module is coupled with the ant colony optimization algorithm to form annefficient and powerful software program which locates the pumping stations at any possible ornpredefined locations while optimizing their specifications, along with pipe diameters, at eachndecision point. The model may equally regard or disregard the dynamic pressures.nTwo examples are provided to illustrate the proposed methodology which is limited to thensolution of any gravity and/or forced water supply pipeline which is typical for water supplynsystems.