Development of Expert System for Structural Design of FBR Components

The characteristics of structural design processes for nuclear components can be summarized as follows :(1) Many engineers belonging to different fields are working in parallel, exchanging a huge amount of data and information. (2) A final solution is determined after a number of iterative design processes. (3) Solutions have to be examined many times based on sophisticated design codes. (4) Sophisticated calculation methods such as the finite element method are frequently utilized, and experts' knowledge on such analyses plays important roles in the design process. Taking these issues into consideration, a new expert important roles in the design process. Taking these issues into consideration, a new expert dataflow mechanism and the blackboard model are utilized to systematize structural design processes in a computer. An automated finite element calculation module is implemented, and experts' knowledge is stored in knowledge base. In addition, a new algorithm is employed to automatically draw. the design window, which is defined as an area of permissible solutions in a design parameter space. The developed system is successfully applied to obtain the design windows of four components selected from the demonstration FBR structures.