Integration of deep learning and improved multi-objective algorithm to optimize reservoir operation for balancing human and downstream ecological needs

Dam (reservoir) -induced alterations of flow and water temperature regimes can threaten downstream fish habitats and native aquatic ecosystems. Alleviating the negative environmental impacts of dam -reservoir and balancing the multiple purposes of reservoir operation have attracted wide attention. While previous studies have incorporated ecological flow requirements in reservoir operation strategies, a comprehensive analysis of trade-offs among hydropower benefits, ecological flow, and ecological water temperature demands is lacking. Hence, this study develops a multi -objective ecological scheduling model, considering total power generation, ecological flow guarantee index, and ecological water temperature guarantee index simultaneously. The model is based on an integrated multi -objective simulation -optimization (MOSO) framework which is applied to Three Gorges Reservoir. To that end, first, a hybrid long short-term memory and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (LSTM_1DCNN) model is utilized to simulate the dam discharge temperature. Then, an improved epsilon multi -objective ant colony optimization for continuous domain algorithm (epsilon-MOACOR) is proposed to investigate the trade-offs among the competing objectives. Results show that LSTM _1DCNN outperforms other competing models in predicting dam discharge temperature. The conflicts among economic and ecological objectives are often prominent. The proposed epsilon-MOACOR has potential in resolving such conflicts and has high efficiency in solving multi -objective benchmark tests as well as reservoir optimization problem. More realistic and pragmatic Pareto-optimal solutions for typical dry, normal and wet years can be generated by the MOSO framework. The ecological water temperature guarantee index objective, which should be considered in reservoir operation, can be improved as inflow discharge increases or the temporal distribution of dam discharge volume becomes more uneven.