Overview of the applications of neural networks in process engineering

Neural networks are enjoying a recent renewal of interest in their uses and applications. This article discusses possible reasons behind this apparent rediscovery, briefly outlining the history of neural networks and focusing on their current applications. The basic building blocks in a neural network are examined, its learning capabilities illustrated and its architectures described. Possible applications of currently available neural networks are presented for typical process control tasks, and future developments in this area are suggested.