Application of Harmony Search to Design Storm Estimation from Probability Distribution Models

The precision of design storm estimation depends on the selection of an appropriate probability distribution model (PDM) and parameter estimation techniques. Generally, estimated parameters for PDMs are provided based on the method of moments, probability weighted moments, and maximum likelihood (ML). The results using ML are more reliable than the other methods. However, the ML is more laborious than the other methods because an iterative numerical solution must be used. In the meantime, metaheuristic approaches have been developed to solve various engineering problems. A number of studies focus on using metaheuristic approaches for estimation of hydrometeorological variables. Applied metaheuristic approaches offer reliable solutions but use more computation time than derivative-based methods. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to enhance parameter estimation of PDMs for design storms using a recently developed metaheuristic approach known as a harmony search (HS). The HS is compared to the genetic algorithm (GA) and ML via simulation and case study. The results of this study suggested that the performance of the GA and HS was similar and showed more accurate results than that of the ML. Furthermore, the HS required less computation time than the GA.