Optimal Operation of Multireservoir Systems: State-of-the-Art Review

With construction of new large-scale water storage projects on the wane in the U.S. and other developed countries, attention must focus on improving the operational effectiveness and efficiency of existing reservoir systems for maximizing the beneficial uses of these projects. Optimal coordination of the many facets of reservoir systems requires the assistance of computer modeling tools to provide information for rational management and operational decisions. The purpose of this review is to assess the state-of-the-art in optimization of reservoir system management and operations and consider future directions for additional research and application. Optimization methods designed to prevail over the high-dimensional, dynamic, nonlinear, and stochastic characteristics of reservoir systems are scrutinized, as well as extensions into multiobjective optimization. Application of heuristic programming methods using evolutionary and genetic algorithms are described, along with application of neural networks and fuzzy rule-based systems for inferring reservoir system operating rules.