Distributed expert system for the monitoring and control of chemical processes

Abstract

After developing a control expert system that has been applied to the monitoring of a flow-injection analysis system, we observed the limitations of a monolithic implementation; therefore, a distributed version of this knowledge-based system seemed to be necessary. In this article, a distributed expert system architecture is presented, based on the use of generic nodes connected by means of networks. In this way, we can implement a very flexible control system capable of adapting itself to different situations. At the same time, it is possible to take advantage of the power offered by the new communication technologies in the field of analytical chemistry. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lab Robotics and Automation 10: 163–168, 1998