1 Optimum Design of Water Conveyance System by Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms

Abstract:- Water conveyance systems (WCSs) are costly infrastructure in terms of materials, construction, maintenance and energy requirements. Much attention has been given to the application of optimization methods to minimize the costs associated with such infrastructure. Historically, traditional optimization techniques have been used, such as linear and non-linear programming, but within the past decade the focus has shifted to the use of evolutionary algorithms, such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and more recently ant colony optimization (ACO). In this paper, application of ACO algorithm on the design of water supply pipeline systems is presented. Ant colony optimization algorithms, which are based on foraging behavior of ants, is successfully applied to optimize this problem. A computer model is developed that can receive pumping stations at any possible or predefined locations and optimize their specifications. As any direct search method, the model is quite sensitive to setup parameters, hence fine tuning of the parameters is recommended