“…Instead, ANN can learn the complex transport processes of a system from given observed data, serving as an instrument for universal data approximation. Accordingly, a considerable number of ANN applications for prediction, classification, signal processing and optimization can be found in various fields such as fmance and economics, meteorology, chemistry and chemical engineering, computer science, water resources engineering, and so forth (Maas et al 2000;Sahoo et al 2005;Valverde Ramirez et al 2005), exemplifying its great predictive potential of transport processes.…”