Sensitivity analysis for solid/liquid separation equipment selection using an expert system

All processing systems are designed and built to solve a particular problem, and it is rare for the problem to be defined explicitly in the statement of the design requirements. A sensitivity analysis may need to be carried out at the equipment selection stage of the design process to take account the inexactness of the problem specification and to establish the suitability of potential choices of equipment. 'What if?’ and other questions should be raised at the equipment selection stage, and the answers can have an impact on capital costs of a project, as well as on running costs and equipment effectiveness. Effects of basic system and operational properties on equipment selection can he explored with the help of a computer based expert system such as pC-SELECT. Examples relating to problems of equipment selection for both batch and continuous processes are discussed.