Online expert-system applications use in fermentation plants

摘要

In Part 1 of this article, the rationale for using online expert systems as an integral part of process automation was described. In Part 2, the specific benefits and learning points resulting from Lilly's use of this technology in its fermentation development and production plants will be reviewed. In summarizing Part 1, Lilly's fermentors are automated with technologies similar to those used in other process industries. Use of these technologies results in a generation of local alarms, which give little insight as to root causes, with some of the alarms being invalid (i.e., nuisance alarms). Second, significant repetitive manual analysis occurs on data collected in process historians and other databases-some of it after the run is over when it is too late to intervene and correct problems. Finally, Lilly is concerned that much process expertise exists in individuals expected to retire or rotate jobs in the near future, so the potential loss of process expertise could be substantial. For all of these reasons, real-time expert systems have been added to complement traditional process control and data historian technologies.