Abstract

This paper describes recent developments in rational process design and their application in biotechnology for large-scale downstream processes. For implementing an expert system, it is necessary to divide the separation process in two parts: recovery and purification, because the information and available heuristic knowledge are different in each part. In the case of the recovery process, the implementation of an expert system, called Prot_Ex, only use heuristic rules from literature and human experts. The sequences suggested were tested with a real example and it gave a satisfactory result. For the purification process two criteria have been defined for selecting the optimal sequences, the SSC criterion and the purity criterion. Both criteria were implemented in an expert system, Prot_Ex_Purification. This expert system was validated with experimental examples, in two cases and, the sequences suggested were adequate and valid. However, the sequences suggested by purity criterion have lesser steps than the sequences suggested by SSC criterion and the purity algorithm spends lesser time and computational resources than SSC algorithm, then the use of purity criterion is more recommendable for selection of purification sequences. Finally, we consider the proposed sequences found by the expert system st Very good starting point for industrial process selection, a clear case of 'expert amplification'. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.