An architectural framework for development of an expert system for optimizing natural gas pipeline operations

This thesis presents an expert system as a decision support tool to optimize natural gas pipeline operations. A natural gas pipeline control system is a controlling system that involves many complicated operating processes. Hence a dispatcher (who operates the system) might not be able to handle all of his or her tasks consistently. Moreover, the simulation program, which is currently used to control the system, does not provide sufficient information to operate the system to users. Hence, an expert system has been developed for optimizing the operations by providing consistent, fast and reliable decision support to the dispatcher. Consequently, inconsistency in the dispatcher's performance can be minimized. To build an expert system, the knowledge from an experienced dispatcher, who is familiar with the process in this controlling system is acquired and that knowledge has been implemented as rules in the knowledge base of the expert system. Once this expert system is built and validated by gas pipeline experts, it can help inexperienced dispatchers to operate the processes more effectively. The expert system is implemented on the expert system shell G2 (developed by Gensym Corp. of USA). The system also comes with an easy to use graphical user interface that helps dispatchers visualize system conditions. The expert system has been validated by the experts from SaskEnergy/Transgas.