Expert Systems for Monitoring and Control

Many large-scale industrial processes and services are centrally monitored and controlled under the supervision of trained operators. Common examples are electrical power plants, chemical reeneries, air-traac control, and telephone networks | all impressively complex systems that are challenging to understand and operate correctly. The task of the operator is one of continuous, real-time monitoring and control, with feedback. The job can be diicult when the physical system is complex (tight coupling and complex interactions). Also, there may be faults not only in the system but also in its sensors and controls. Deciding the correct control action during a crisis can be diicult; a bad decision can be disastrous. This paper surveys existing work in the eld of knowledge-based systems that assist plant/process operators in the task of monitoring and control. The goal here is to better deene the information processing problems and identify key requirements for an automated operator assistant. A high-level design of an \expert system for operators" is presented. The design relies on a functional/causal model of the physical system as a source of deep knowledge (in addition to several sources of shallow knowledge). The major processes described in this design are focusing, model-building, tracking, envisioning and advising.