The integration of an intelligent knowledge-based system into engineering software using the blackboard structure

Over recent years there has been an increase in the use of generic Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software packages spread across various application fields. This has created the need for the integration of expertise into CFD software. Expertise can be integrated into CFD software in the form of an Intelligent Knowledge-Based System (IKBS). The advantages of integrating intelligence into generic engineering software 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 an IKBS for CFD software are discussed and compared to current practice. The blackboard software architecture is presented. This 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 CFD software package FLOWES.

A life cycle model for product-service systems design

Western manufacturing companies are developing innovative ways of delivering value that competes with the low cost paradigm. One such strategy is to deliver not only products, but systems that are closely aligned with the customer value proposition. These systems are comprised of integrated products and services, and are referred to as Product-Service Systems (PSS). A key challenge in PSS is supporting the design activity. In one sense, PSS design is a further extension of concurrent engineering that requires front-end input from the additional downstream sources of product service and maintenance. However, simply developing products and service packages is not sufficient: the new design challenge is the integrated system. This paper describes the development of a PSS data structure that can support this integrated design activity. The data structure is implemented in a knowledge base using the Protégé knowledge base editor.