Human-Factors Review of Electric-Power-Dispatch Control Centers. Volume 5. Information Management and Presentation Summary. Final Report

摘要

The application of human factors disciplines to electric utility control center operations can minimize human engineering deficiencies. After detailed examination of the information the operator requires, certain criteria emerge: more data must be converted into meaningful information, information must be easily comprehended by operators, and operating states or conditions and time domains should be considered. Previous study phases of RP1354 carefully analyzed the above. This phase, Phase III, now covers, in more detail, the operators' information needs and how information should be efficiently managed and effectively presented. Information management includes assembling the raw data, processing it, and presenting and/or storing it. In analyzing information management requirements, operators were examined as a system component. From a human factors perspective, perception, performance, and memory were evaluated. Techniques and methods applied to monitoring, such as combinatorial and alarm processing, and software assignment of console functions were examined. Information management objectives are directed at the reduction of operator information to clarify his options, yet providing for the extraction of supplemental information upon demand. Information presentation is examined considering human factors guidelines for CRT information presentation including information access, display parameters, display formatting, single-line displays, group displays, tabular displays, bar graph displays, trend displays, windowing, CRT image transformations and audible alarms. Presently available technology and hardware devices such as mapboards, CRT monitors, display generators, keyboards, cursor control devices, hardcopy printers, and telephone systems were analyzed to identify their benefits and restrictions. Desirable features for the design of a new or the modification of an existing control center are presented. (ERA citation 08:031906)