Presenting Trends In Petrochemical Process Control Systems

Abstract

Petrochemical operators view the distributed control system process through operating graphics that are displayed on four or more cathode ray tube displays that are monitored 24/7. The graphics vary in both design and content, however there has not been extensive research done on the ability of vector arrows to display this trend information. The purpose of this study was to understand the current trend representation methods and to develop efficient trend representation displays. Results indicate that providing vector arrows for trend representation can be effective in getting the attention of the user and can help in reducing change blindness. Results also indicate that between 10 and 20 degrees of change a participant notices change and that any rate of change increase beyond that does not improve their recognition, illustrating the importance of capturing the rate of change within this range in representing trend data. We were able to demonstrate that use of vector arrows for at-a-glance initial trend analysis was easy to use and effective in petrochemical industry systems.