Application of intelligent optimization techniques and investigating the effect of reservoir size in calibrating the reservoir operating policy

In this study, we applied the most recently developed artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization technique in search of an optimal reservoir release policy. The effect of the optimization algorithms was also investigated in terms of reservoir size and operational complexities. Particle swarm optimization, genetic algorithm and neural network-based stochastic dynamic programming are used to compare the model performances. Two different reservoir data were used to achieve the detailed analysis and complete understanding of the application efficiency of these optimization techniques. Release curves were developed for every month as guidance for the decision-maker. Simulation was carried out for each method using actual inflow data, and reliability, resiliency and vulnerability are measured. The release policy provided by ABC optimization algorithms outperformed in terms of reliability, less waste of water and handling critical situations of low inflow. Also, the ABC showed better performance in the case of complex reservoirs.