R. Banaresalcantara et Hms. Lababidi, DESIGN SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR PROCESS ENGINEERING .2. KBDS - AN EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE, Computers & chemical engineering, 19(3), 1995, pp. 279-301
KBDS is a prototype design support system for process engineering. It
was created as an experimental vehicle to test and develop ideas about
the representation of the design process, and to demonstrate how such
a representation can be used to support the design activity. Our star
ting point is a representation of the design process consisting of thr
ee space: one for design alternatives, another for design objectives,
and a their structure, behaviour, and alternatives. These have been im
plemented in a prototype system, and their structure, behaviour, and i
nteraction are described. The implementation is based on two powerful
techniques: object-oriented programming, and assumption-based truth ma
intenance systems (ATMS). The functionally of KBDS is shown through a
demonstration based on the sequential development of a separation syst
em and the hierarchical conceptual design of the HDA process. This dem
onstration shows that the current capabilities of KBDS satisfy many of
the requirements of a design support system, and provide a basis for
future expansion to satify the others.