Application of artificial intelligence control to the vapor-liquid-solid silicon carbide whisker process.

摘要

Silicon carbide whiskers have excellent mechanical and chemical properties, making them very desirable as a reinforcement for structural ceramic and other composite materials. Los Alamos has developed a laboratory-scale batch process for producing very high quality SiC whiskers by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method which is an active candidate for technology transfer involving significant scale-up. The process, however, involves quite complex chemical/physical and parametric relationships and has not as yet lent itself successfully to modeling. An expert computer system was therefore developed to facilitate the transfer of this technology to industry. Optimum conditions were determined by relating the many process parameters to product results to establish a set of rules for running the process. These are incorporated in a two-phase expert system designed to guide inexperienced users. In Phase 1, an expert consultant program provides the user with information that enables him to set up the run. This information is incorporated into the rule base that makes up Phase 2 --- the control system. At present, the operator functions as the controller by responding to the decisions of the expert system; automation can be added later. 13 refs., 16 figs.