Optimatics' software to boost river system planning
Artificial intelligence software is being adapted to help enhance river system planning by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).
The Authority is working with Adelaide firm Optimatics to adapt the software to be used in conjunction with the MDBA's existing BIGMOD river simulation model.
David Dreverman, executive director of the MDBA's River Murray Water, said: "With all the challenges in the Murray system, there is growing pressure to look at variations to optimize systems and process our problems faster. Running BIGMOD and Optimatics' software together will allow us to significantly increase the number of options what we can consider in trying to find optimization outcomes from the river management challenges that we are working on."
The Murray-Darling basin is facing unprecedented droughts - leading to widespread environmental damage, economic loss and hitherto unexperienced hydrological conditions. A key role of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is to efficiently manage and distribute the water resources of the River Murray, and during this current crisis the task of balancing social, environmental and economic drivers is as difficult as ever.
To assist with this task, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (now the MDBA) has developed the BIGMOD river simulation model for analysing flow of water within the Murray and Lower Darling River Systems. Development of the new software combination builds on a two-year pilot project the MDBA carried out with Optimatics.
The optimization system uses genetic algorithm optimization, an intelligent search algorithm that Optimatics said was inspired by Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The genetic algorithm is adapted to interface with BIGMOD to assist in determining optimal short-term operating procedures and medium to long-term management policies for the River Murray.
The use of the genetic algorithm optimization system on a number of river operation case studies demonstrated that artificial intelligence can play an important role for the river basin. The combined genetic algorithm and BIGMOD optimization system enables improved operating decisions and faster and more transparent decision-making processes, by replacing the time-consuming trial-and-error approach to decision-making with an automated search technique.
Dreverman said the new software should be completed and in operation by June.
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This article first appeared in the March 2009 issue of Water Engineering Australia, a magazine published by Engineers Media. It appears here with permission. For more information go to www.engineersmedia.com.au.
