Control Room Interface Layout for Fast Process Deviation Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current supervisory systems in control rooms of offshore and onshore production platforms are overwhelmed with irrelevant events and lack clear visualization of critical variables, making it difficult for operators to identify deviations in time to prevent equipment or process shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
The ECOSCEL supervisory system integrates Intouch with Excel, providing a simplified visual organization on two screens that concentrate all important variables, allowing for real-time data acquisition and immediate notification of deviations, thus enabling timely intervention to prevent shutdowns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional supervisory systems display all variables and events on multiple screens (100+ screens), then comprehensive monitoring coverage is achieved, but screen pollution with irrelevant events occurs and operators cannot quickly identify actual deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates relevant critical information from the mass of irrelevant events. The Excel-based supervisory interface selectively displays only important process variables and actual deviations, filtering out stand-by and maintenance events that pollute traditional screens. This extraction principle resolves the contradiction by presenting essential information without the complexity of displaying all possible events across 100+ screens.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments information display into two parts: a simplified Excel-based supervisory interface showing only critical variables and deviations, and the underlying complex process control system. This segmentation allows operators to view essential information in an organized manner while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capabilities in the background, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and visual clarity.
2Reliability
If traditional systems show all instruments and equipment status, then complete system visibility is achieved, but irrelevant events (stand-by, maintenance) pollute the screens and hide actual deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving different display characteristics to different types of information. Critical process variables are displayed prominently with clear visual indicators in the Excel interface, while stand-by and maintenance events are filtered out or given minimal visibility. This selective presentation enhances both reliability of deviation detection and ease of operation by reducing visual noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary filtering and organization of information before presentation to operators. The Excel-based interface pre-processes process data to identify and highlight only those variables that require operator attention, preparing the information in advance in a deviation-focused format. This preliminary action ensures operators see actual deviations immediately without being overwhelmed by irrelevant events.
3Loss of time
If control operators continuously monitor all control screens, then comprehensive awareness is achieved, but there is no time to predict or anticipate process occurrences before shutdowns occur
Solution Approach 1:
The Excel-based supervisory interface performs preliminary identification and highlighting of potential deviations before they escalate to shutdown conditions. By pre-organizing data to show only critical variables and emerging issues, the system gives operators advance warning time to take corrective action, thus reducing loss of time for prevention while maintaining high monitoring efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides focused feedback by displaying only the most critical process variables and deviations in the Excel interface. This selective feedback mechanism allows operators to quickly understand current process status and potential issues without being overwhelmed by all possible events, thereby improving response time and preventing shutdowns while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to an ECOSCEL supervisory system with application in the E&P area, particularly in the control rooms of offshore production platforms, or in onshore plants, aiming to allow a summary of the process in only two screens, in which all the most important variables used are concentrated. The flexibility of inserting important variables and notifications allows, at any time, a rapid update of the operational demands of the control room administrators. With the visual organization of the ECOSCEL supervisor, the operator of control room can immediately perceive a variable outside the range, in time to intervene with appropriate control actions to prevent (shutdown) of a piece of equipment, system or process.