Viscometric flow interpretation using qualitative and quantitative techniques

Although the development of rheological software has kept pace with the advances in modern rheometrical instruments the process of data analysis and interpretation remains fallible and can be prone to some significant errors. The reason for this is that the ability and knowledge of human beings to utilize the instruments and data at their disposal can be somewhat limited in some instances. To solve this problem an intelligent system has been built which incorporates knowledge to assist the user. The system provides descriptions about the data or graph using natural language, explanations using tutorial frames, and a step-by-step hands-on guidance through the data analysis. In this paper, the two major problems faced by users are stated and the techniques (symbolic and nonsymbolic computation) employed to solve these problems are described theoretically. Finally, illustrations are given which show how these ideas are implemented in the system.