Automated Acquisition of Constraints in Plant Layout Design Problems

摘要

In layout design, components of a plant must be arranged so as to satisfy various conditions imposed by them. We have presented a hybrid layout design system for power plants by combining a constraint-directed search procedure and a mathematical optimization procedure, in which the layout conditions are declaratively represented as spatial constraints. The contents of constraints prescribed for the layout design system is very important for generating a satisfactory arrangement, and they have been described by the designer's judgment. In this paper, we clarify the causality between constraints and plant configuration, and develop an automated acquisition system of layout constraints using an expert system technology. Finally, the constraints defined with it are examined in the layout design of a nuclear power plant in order to check the validity of causality.