Control Room High Performance HMI
Ian Nimmo discusses control room high-performance HMI.
Most people only use HMI, resulting in over-using colors, glaring screens, and information being displayed incorrectly. Our retention is focused on how an operator detects a problem. We want to be able to detect the moment we leave normal operation. We need to define what is off normal, which is long before we get into the abnormal area (an alarm state) and then the emergency situation. Graphics are used for normal operation and alarms for off-normal. If this isn’t done correctly, it will be difficult for the operator to respond, which will result in the operator being very overwhelmed.
Proper HMI design can reduce operator workload, improve situational awareness, and aid the operator in preventing minor deviations from becoming major incidents. Well-designed HMI also works hand-in-hand with Alarm Management initiatives, since better presentation of information to the operator improves overall situation awareness. This helps offset the perception operators frequently have that elimination of alarms from the DCS will reduce their ability to track the status of the plant.
Recent research has identified that well-implemented HMI can improve operator performance in problem detection and resolution by as much as 25 percent. This reduces the amount of time the plant is running at less-than-optimal efficiency, thus improving the bottom line. This also reduces operator stress and improves employee relationships.
- If any of the following seems familiar, your HMI needs improvement:
- Operators claim they need ten screens to operate the plant.
Graphics appear cluttered. - Graphics are more colorful than a carnival.
- During an abnormal situation, operators rapidly jump between screens, searching for the information they need.
- Graphics are developed page-for-page from the P&IDs.
- Graphics do not incorporate the latest cognitive processing research.
Check out the new book by UCDS, Inc. President Ian Nimmo, Operator Effectiveness and The Human Side of Error. Click here.