The problem of computer-aided design and synthesis of a reverse-osmosis desalination plant is presented. A hybrid expert-procedural system has been developed 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 design and optimisation. The heuristics used in the expert part come from experienced designers and from proposals of membrane manufacturers. The detailed calculations are based on mass balance equations and correlations for the permeators. The system developed can be used to propose a reverse-osmosis plant structure and to perform detailed calculations for possible design scenarios 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 osmosis desalination plant.
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