(150b) Optimizing Spatio-Temporal Sensor Placement for Nutrient Monitoring: Algorithmic Framework

INFEWS is a new initiative in NSF which deals with Innovations at the Nexus of the Food, Energy and Waters Systems. This project addresses the INFEWS: N/P/H2O solicitation. The food production system generates waste streams that are characterized by high concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in water. Therefore, monitoring nitrogen and phosphorous species is important for water quality requirements for agricultural as well as energy production. Currently these species are monitored via stationary monitoring stations. However nitrogen and phosphorous species move via agricultural run-off to other water systems, and requires portable sensors which can change the positions in real time. This type of dynamic sensing requires novel algorithms which decide sensor locations in real time in the face of inherent uncertainties in the fate and transport of the species. To develop such an algorithmic framework to solve the problem of sensor placement in real time is the objective of this proposal.

This paper presents the first part of the work which is the algorithmic framework for optimal spatial-temporal locations of the sensors in real time. The algorithmic framework is based on a novel algorithm called Better Optimization of Nonlinear Uncertain Systems (BONUS). We present a case study of an agent based model from social sciences for testing these framework. This model is based on behavior of cows in a field where there are grass patches. The cows move in a herd towards the greener pasture and eat grass till it finishes. The grass growth and cow movements are probabilistic. We are using four sensors for object tracking (e.g. cows) and these sensor move spatially and temporally in order to track maximum number of cows. Results show that the optimal movement of sensors allows to track maximum number of cows.

In the future, the algorithmic framework will be coupled with nutrient and fate transport models. A case study of a small watershed will be selected from literature for nutrient monitoring sensor location problem. Optimal spatial-temporal locations will be the result of this new framework for this case study.