Genetic Algorithm-Based Discharge Estimation at Sites Receiving Lateral Inflows

Abstract

The genetic algorithm (GA) technique is applied to obtain optimal parameter values of the standard rating curve model (RCM) for predicting, in real time, event-based flow discharge hydrographs at sites receiving significant lateral inflows. The standard RCM uses the information of discharge and effective cross-sectional flow area at an upstream station and effective cross-sectional flow area wave travel time later at a downstream station to predict the flow rate at this last site. The GA technique obtains the optimal parameter values of the model, here defined as the GA-RCM model, by minimizing the mean absolute error objective function. The GA-RCM model was tested to predict hydrographs at three different stations, located on the Upper Tiber River in central Italy. The wave travel times characterizing the three selected river branches are, on the average, 4, 8, and