APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO PROCESS CONTROL IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY

A FEASIBILITY STUDY IS PROPOSED TO EXAMINE THE APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMMING TO EXISTING PROBLEMS IN THE CONTROL OF PROCESSES IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY. IN PARTICULAR, THE STUDY WILL ASSESS THE USE OF THE "EXPERT SYSTEMS" PROGRAM TECHNIQUE EMPLOYING EMPIRICALLY-BASED PRODUCTION RULES TO SIMULATE AN EXPERT HUMAN OPERATOR OF COMPLEX PROCESSES WHICH CANNOT BE MODELED MATHEMATICALLY.PROCESS CONTROL CANDIDATE PROBLEMS EXIST IN THE TOMLINSON BLACK LIQUOR RECOVERY BOILER, THE CHEMICAL PULP DIGESTER, AND THE PAPER MACHINE. A CANDIDATE PROBLEM OR PROBLEMS WILL BE SELECTED AS MOST SUITED TO AN EXPERT SYSTEMS APPROACH TOWARD AUTOMATIC PROCESS CONTROL, AND A PRELIMINARYENGINEERING/ECONOMIC ANALYSIS WILL BE PERFORMED.