Operator Console HMI With Future Process State Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial console operators vary significantly in their ability to project the state of a production process into the future, affecting the reliability of process operations due to complex influences such as advanced control strategies, material changes, and environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
An operator console with a dynamic human-machine interface (HMI) that provides a real-time, time-based representation of processing equipment, displaying historical, current, and predicted future states, incorporating data from operations planning, maintenance, and weather services to enhance operators' ability to anticipate future process events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional HMI mechanisms (level 1 overview and time series trends) are used to display current process state, then the operator can understand the current situation, but the operator cannot effectively project the future state of the process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation of future process states using predictive models before the operator needs to make decisions. The HMI displays predicted future states of process parameters, allowing operators to see anticipated conditions and take preventive actions in advance, rather than reacting to current states only.
Solution Approach 2:
A predictive modeling intermediary layer is introduced between the process control system and the operator interface. This intermediary computes and translates complex process dynamics into simplified future state predictions that are easily visualizable on the HMI, bridging the gap between raw process data and operator understanding.
2Reliability
If the HMI displays detailed current process parameters, then the operator can monitor the process state, but the operator interface becomes complex and difficult to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The HMI interface is segmented into distinct temporal views: current state display and future state prediction display. This segmentation allows the interface to present detailed current parameters when needed while separately presenting simplified future state trends, preventing information overload and improving interpretability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension to the HMI display by showing process parameters across time (current and future states). This dimensional transformation allows the interface to convey more information without increasing instantaneous complexity, as operators can view trends and predictions alongside current values.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes generating a future state reflecting predicted values for a future time for a plurality of processing equipment for an industrial process run by an industrial process control and automation system (IPCS) configured to control the industrial process including at least one process controller coupled to input output (I/O) modules coupled to field devices including sensors and actuators that are coupled to processing equipment including the plurality of processing equipment. The method includes displaying in a human machine interface (HMI) associated with an operator computing system that is coupled to the process controller a dynamic time-based representation for each of the plurality of the processing equipment including beginning from a time beginning in the past including historical values, a value at a current time, and the predicted value at the future time.