Aerial Spray Deposition Management Using the Genetic Algorithm

The AGDISP Aerial Spray Simulation Model is used to predict the deposition of spray material released from an aircraft. The prediction is based on a well-defined set of input parameter values (e.g., release height, and droplet size) as well as constant data (e.g., aircraft and nozzle type). But, for a given deposition, what are the optimal parameter values? This problem is considered to be a parametric design problem or more generally a configuration problem. Attempting to optimize a configuration based on some set of constraints is known to be extremely difficult (NP-Hard). We use the popular Genetic Algorithm to heuristically search for an optimal or near-optimal set of input parameters needed to achieve a certain aerial spray deposition. Having this knowledge can benefit forest managers substantially, especially regarding such issues as cost, environmental safety, and forest treatment accuracy.