Multiple cooperating knowledge sources for the design of building energy systems

The interaction of multiple cooperating knowledge sources (MCKS) on a blackboard system is used to create an expert system shell specifically designed to address the task of designing thermal energy systems for buildings. Two themes are explored in this second generation prototype system. The first is the use of an object-oriented blackboard data representation for design artifacts with tightly coupled links to drawings, data bases, and bid specification. The second is an efficient and flexible control architecture, which organizes knowledge sources for particular tasks and enforces consistency and completeness during the execution of a design project. Design of a solar domestic hot water system is presented as an example application. The experiences of working design engineers in developing modular HVAC design knowledge sources are also discussed.