A Novel Algorithm (G-JPSO) and Its Development for the Optimal Control of Pumps in Water Distribution Networks

Recent decades have witnessed growing applications of metaheuristic techniques as efficient tools for solving complex engineering problems. One such method is the JPSO algorithm. In this study, innovative modifications were made in the nature of the jump algorithm JPSO to make it capable of coping with graph-based solutions, which led to the development of a new algorithm called ‘G-JPSO’. The new algorithm was then used to solve the Fletcher-Powell optimal control problem and its application to optimal control of pumps in water distribution networks was evaluated. Optimal control of pumps consists in an optimum operation timetable (on and off) for each of the pumps at the desired time interval. Maximum number of on and off positions for each pump was introduced into the objective function as a constraint such that not only would power consumption at each node be reduced but such problem requirements as the minimum pressure required at each node and minimum/maximum storage tank heights would be met. To determine the optimal operation of pumps, a model-based optimization-simulation algorithm was developed based on G-JPSO and JPSO algorithms. The model proposed by van Zyl was used to determine the optimal operation of the distribution network. Finally, the results obtained from the proposed algorithm were compared with those obtained from ant colony, genetic, and JPSO algorithms to show the robustness of the proposed algorithm in finding near-optimum solutions at reasonable computation costs.