Franz Reimbold - ABB Power Plant Control PROCONTROL P Federal Republic of Germany

Using computers in power plants on one hand, operation by operator on the other hand creates the question of optimizing the Man-Machine -Systems; (MMS) and presents a continual challenge to the users and to the I&C suppliers in terms of control room design, due to the amount of information involved and the complexity of the process. The tempo of innovation for MMS and for automation engineering in gernal continues unabated with regard to computer performance, software functionality and operator control techniques. In defining new system structures for MMS, the requirements a designer must satisfy are almost contradictory: - To utilize innovative technologies for optimizing plant mangagement - Reliable plant operation throughout all phases of the process - Flexible, process-related design of control room equipment, for one man or team-operated control rooms - Utilization of proven technology, while at the same time remaining open for future requirements The importance of MMS for plant availability presupposes that the functionalities of the instrumentation and control system and the MMS have been mutually harmonized so as to provide a properly complementary system.

Plant-wide control, Plant communication, Distributed control system, Ergonomics, Man-Machine Systems (MMS).This paper presents the initial experience gained from operating a VDU-based control room with consistently networked VDU-based operating units. System-related weaknesses of serial process control are indicated, requirements for VDU-based control rooms stated, supplemented by a treatment of the beneficial effects of networking on displays, operation control concepts, plant availability and working procedures