A hybrid expert-procedural system for the design of reverse-osmosis desalination plants

The problem of computer-aided design and synthesis of a reverse-osmosis des alination plant is presented. A hybrid expert-procedural system has been de veloped that deal with the synthesis problem at two levels of abstraction. The expert part of the system uses qualitative data, and through heuristics , makes decisions about the structure of the plant. The procedural part of the system uses the decisions of the expert part as a basis for detailed de sign and optimisation. The heuristics used in the expert part come From exp erienced designers and from proposals of membrane manufacturers. The detail ed calculations are based on mass balance equations and correlations for th e permeators. The system developed can be used to propose a reverse-osmosis plant structure and to perform detailed calculations for possible design s cenarios envisaged by the user. A case study on such a plant is also given and shows how the expert system handles the design problem of a reverse osm osis desalination plant.