AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT

Abstract

Knowledge - Based Expert Systems are interactive computer programs that capture the specific knowledge of a particular domain and mimic the reasoning process of human experts to accomplish tasks that normally require competent experts for their completion. It has been experienced that in the field of environmental engineering, there are a number of problems that are not amenable to purely algorithmic conventional software. The problem of this kind require experience and judgement on the part of the engineers and operators. One of these applications is in the decision making process for design, operation and maintenance of sewage treatment plants. This dissertation addresses the problem of design, development and inplementation of an expert system for design, operation and maintenance of sewage treatement plants. The expert system has been develped on an experimental basis using the shell EXSYS and has about 300 rules and some external programs for design of various units. In it's ADVISORY mode, the expert system offers the user, advice or information on various processes in different units of a wastewater treatment plant. In it's DIAGNOSIS AND REMEDIAL mode, the expert system diagnoses the causeof a particular operational problem, given the symptoms and suggests the possible remedial measures. In it's DESIGN mode, the expert system provide all data required for design of units.