Dicode - An Expert System for Designing Distillation Column Controls

An expert system for designing control systems for distillation columns, called DICODE (DItillation COlumn Design Expert), has been developed. This expert system was the result of a joint project between researchers at the University of Maryland and E.I. Dupont & Co. The expert system contains approximately 300 rules and it has gone through extensive prototyping. This paper focuses on the distillation control aspects of the expert system. Initially in developing DICODE the design methodology of Page Buckley was used and then that of Greg Shinskey was added. Examples are presented that show that the two design methodologies produce results that are diametrically opposed to one another in a number of cases. An attempt is made to explain how such differences can arise between the results produced by known experts.