Dynamic Plant Work Scheduling for Operator Shortage Events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plant operation systems fail to implement dynamic work assignments that consider the detailed situation of the plant and operators, leading to risks and inefficiencies, especially during events when operator shortages occur.
Innovation Solution
A plant operation assistance system that acquires and analyzes plant and operator information to determine handling priorities, schedule work procedures, and identify the most suitable operators, integrating parameters like risk and handling time to optimize operations and address operator shortages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If predetermined work assignment is used based on operator roles or areas of responsibility, then the system is simple to operate and easy to manage, but it cannot respond in time when unexpected combinations of events occur and does not consider detailed plant or operator situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static predetermined work assignment to dynamic work assignment that automatically adapts to changing plant conditions and operator states. The scheduling unit continuously receives event information and operator state information, then dynamically generates optimized work assignments based on current situations, enabling the system to respond flexibly to unexpected event combinations while considering detailed plant and operator characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling unit acts as an intermediary between event information and operator assignment. It receives event data from the plant status identification unit and operator state data from the operator state identification unit, then processes this information to determine optimal work assignments. This intermediary component enables complex dynamic decision-making without requiring direct complex interactions between all system elements.
2Productivity
If a minimum number of operators monitor multiple units simultaneously during normal operation, then equipment size and operator load are reduced, but operator shortage becomes a problem when events occur
Solution Approach 1:
The operator state identification unit continuously monitors and identifies operator states (availability, skill levels, current workload) in advance before events occur. The scheduling unit pre-prepares optimized work assignment plans based on current operator states and plant conditions. When events occur, the system can immediately implement pre-calculated optimal assignments or rapidly generate new ones, ensuring adequate response capability without requiring more operators during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes work assignment parameters based on operator states and event characteristics. The scheduling unit adjusts assignment decisions by changing parameters such as which operator handles which event, the priority of events, and the allocation of tasks across operators. This parameter-based dynamic adjustment enables the system to maintain high work efficiency during normal operation while ensuring adequate response capability when events occur, without increasing the minimum number of operators required.
3Area of stationary object
If conventional monitoring and control systems are used with hardware type analog panels, then the system structure is simple and stable, but the equipment size is large and the operator load is high
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces hardware type analog monitoring and control panels with a software-based digital panel system. The plant operation assistance system uses software modules (scheduling unit, identification units, acquisition units) running on computer hardware to perform functions that would otherwise require physical analog equipment. This substitution dramatically reduces equipment size while the automated scheduling and state identification functions reduce operator load by handling complex decision-making and information processing automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital panel system integrates multiple functions into a single unified software platform. The plant operation assistance system performs event monitoring, operator state tracking, work assignment optimization, and schedule management all through software modules. This multi-functional integration reduces the overall equipment footprint compared to separate hardware systems while providing enhanced capabilities that reduce operator burden through automation.
Data Source
AI summary
The plant operation assistance system includes a plant information acquisition unit for acquiring plant information, an operator information acquisition unit for acquiring operator information, a work information acquisition unit for acquiring work information, a plant status identification unit for identifying a plant status from the plant information, a handling priority determination unit for determining handling priority for a plurality of units, a scheduling unit for creating schedule candidates from the handling priority, an operator state identification unit for identifying the status of an operator from the operator information and the work information, a schedule evaluation unit for evaluating the schedule candidates from the state of the operator, and a schedule presentation unit for presenting a schedule in accordance with the schedule evaluation result.