APPLICATION OF CONTROLLABILITY ANALYSIS TOOLS DURING THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STAGE

This paper presents an extension to KBDS (Banares-Alcantara and Lababi di, 1995), a prototype design support system for process engineering, that will enable the application of controllability and dynamics studi es at the early stages of design. The underlying object-oriented knowl edge representation structure of KBDS is flexible enough to accommodat e such extension. The proposed extension focuses on design models crea tion and representation, and means of evaluating these models. This in cludes the addition of steady-state and dynamic modeling capabilities and the provision of communication to external packages to support the analysis and evaluation of design alternatives. Two systems were cons idered for integration with KBDS: MATLAB (Math Works, Inc., 1993a) and Omola (Andersson, 1995). Communication with these external tools is p rovided in the first instance through object-oriented message passing; we are planning to use epee (Ballinger el al., 1994) in the future. T he integrated tools have been tested on the controllability of multipl e CSTRs in series and effects of recycle streams. The control analysis sessions are found vital in supporting the evolution of design altern atives. They also highlight some features of KBDS in the support of th e design process itself, i.e. the identification of design versions wi th the output generated by the control tools and the maintenance of de cisions made during their application.