The extensive use of generic Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) engineering software packages over recent years and its spread across various application fields, has created the need for the integration of expertise into CFD software. The advantages of integrating Intelligence into engineering software in the form of an Intelligent Knowledge Based System (IKBS) are discussed with a special view to software engineering considerations. The software modelling cycle of a typical engineering problem is identified and the respective expertise and user control needed for each modelling phase is shown. The requirements of a IKBS for CFD software are discussed and compared to current practice. The Blackboard software architecture is shown to be appropriate for the integration of an IKBS into an engineering software package. This is demonstrated through the presentation of the prototype Computational Fluid Dynamics software package FLOWES. FLOWES has been built around the blackboard software structure, which is shown to provide a flexible mechanism for passing information and control between the various software modules. FLOWES includes an IKBS in the form of a qualitative data dictionary, a rulebase and an inference engine. Experience accrued using FLOWES is discussed focusing on the IKBS and the blackboard architecture.

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £60 +P&P)