Portable Plant Operation Support for Atypical Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field operators in plants face challenges in responding promptly to atypical operations due to lack of immediate support for unexpected facility abnormalities, leading to delayed troubleshooting and potential incorrect decisions, especially for less experienced personnel.
Innovation Solution
A portable operation support system that includes a portable terminal device equipped with a position information detector, inspection information processor, and a user interface, allowing field operators to access inspection routes, routine and atypical operation instructions, and historical data for quick decision-making and troubleshooting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If field operators search for materials manually in offices, then they can find repair and replacement information, but it takes too much time and they cannot respond immediately to facility troubles
Solution Approach 1:
A portable terminal device serves as an intermediary between field operators and the central server, enabling operators to access repair information, operation guides, and facility data remotely while moving through the plant, eliminating the need to return to offices for material searches
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-loads and stores operation guides, repair procedures, and facility information in the portable terminal device before operators need them, so that all necessary information is immediately available at the point of need without time-consuming searches
2Productivity
If field operators rely on their own judgment for troubleshooting decisions, then they can make quick decisions, but less experienced operators may make incorrect decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback mechanisms where operators can input observed symptoms and the system returns recommended actions based on historical data and expert knowledge, ensuring decisions are grounded in proven effectiveness rather than just operator intuition
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service troubleshooting by providing operators with automated diagnostic support and decision recommendations, allowing even less experienced operators to make reliable decisions without needing extensive personal expertise
3Ease of operation
If field operators follow fixed inspection routes and lists, then they can perform routine inspections systematically, but they cannot immediately access support for atypical operations outside the inspection list
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts from static inspection lists to dynamic support provision, where the portable terminal can access and provide information for both routine inspection items and atypical operations based on real-time operator needs and facility conditions
Data Source
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AI summary
An operation support system for supporting an operation to each facility installed in a plant, the operation support system may include, but is not limited to, a data storage that stores historical data which represent information regarding operations performed to the facility as history, and at least one operation support device portable by a field operator, wherein the operation support device may include a position information acquirer configured to acquire a current position of the operation support device, and to output current position information, an inspection information processor configured to add information regarding the operation performed to the facility, and to output the current position information regarding position where the operation was performed to at least the facility that is associated with the historical data to data storage, and an operation supporter configured to represent information regarding the operation performed to the facility as operation information based on the historical data, and to enable one or more further functions regarding the operation associated with the operation information to be executed.