Soybean Oil Extraction Diagnostic Expert System

A soybean oil extraction expert system (ES), SOYEX, was developed to assist plant supervisors, technicians, and engineers in finding remedies for excessively high residual flake fats during soybean oil extraction processes (Deer, 1988). This diagnostic, knowledge-based system was developed using the expertise of a recently retired technical director of a major soybean oil extraction company. The knowledge engineer was a graduate research assistant in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Purdue University. SOYEX has been used in one commercial extraction plant since the summer of 1988, and is now operational in four extraction plants. This ES is extensively used to train new managers and to recommend solutions to problems that occur especially during evenings and weekends when human expertise is not readily available.