Expert System Applied to Design Hydraulic Power Supply Units

This paper describes the development of an expert system project to design hydraulic power supply units, known as PHIDR, which is considered a natural expansion of KEOHPS Hydraulic Module. The expert system aims to support the designer in the process of selecting, in an efficient manner, the most adequate power supply unit based on design requirements and best practice rules. The text presents a description of the prototype system as well as its development process, including knowledge acquisition, representation, implementation and validation. Future issues on system expansion are also discussed.