Research and Educational Advances in Optimal Groundwater Remediation Design
B. S. Minsker,* D. Goldberg, F. Saied, Y. Liu, F. Espinoza, D. Brookman and M. Throneburg
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

An optimal control model for aerobic in situ bioremediation design has been developed in previous work, but the computational effort associated with solving the model is so great that field-scale, heterogeneous sites cannot be accurately modeled. In this project, multiscale optimization methods and a hybrid genetic algorithm will be developed to improve performance and capabilities of the model. The research will be integrated with education through development of: (1) graphical user interfaces to improve access to the model by students and practitioners, (2) an educational game using the research software developed in this project, and (3) a new graduate course on coupled optimization and simulation modeling to teach students the complexities associated with developing and applying such models.