The application of expert systems to fault diagnosis in alternators

This paper describes the application of expert system techniques to fault diagnosis in alternators. A structured approach to knowledge acquisition and analysis is discussed which has allowed the efficient construction of comprehensive knowledge models of design and operational expertise. In addition to being used in the creation of an auditable archive of alternator subsystem expertise, the knowledge models have been used in the development of enhanced generator diagnostics. The development of an expert system from the acquired knowledge models is described and its diagnostic capability demonstrated by an example of its diagnosis