Using Process Models with Expert Systems to Aid Process Control Operators

Expert systems technology seems to have great promise as a medium through which the expertise of master process control operators may be made available as a tool for the average operator. However, fulfillment of this promise will depend upon the extent to which expert systems can be of immediate use to operators in the performance of their critical job duties, and provide them with help that is not more readily available through other approaches. In this paper, we describe how expert systems might be applied to the process control operator´s various duties, in order to identify the technical advances needed for the full potential of expert systems technology to be realized. Next, we describe how process models of various types may be used in conjunction with expert systems in order to meet some of these needs, and advance the state-of-the-art in the applications of expert systems to process control. Finally, we list several criteria for choosing near-term expert systems development projects, in light of these considerations.