A tailor-made High-Performance Graphics (HPG) SCADA application program designed by Wright-Pierce’s in-house Integrated Controls Services team, as part of a comprehensive $42 M wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) upgrade for the Town of Exeter, NH, has improved Operator efficiency and responsiveness.
According to Steve Dalton (pictured below), Senior Wastewater Operator, “This HPG format of SCADA makes it incredibly easy for me and the plant operators to decipher what is happening with our processes. It has been an excellent experience working with Wright Pierce as they designed, and implemented, HPG SCADA for our facilities.”
Innovative Integrated SCADA Process Programming
Working closely with our design engineers and the WWTF Operations Staff, the team developed and deployed a facilities-wide, process control SCADA application based on concepts from the International Society of Automation (ISA) High Performance Graphics (HPG) Standard. The turn key controls solution includes process control system programming (via Programmable Logic Controllers), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Development, System Integration, startup, and commissioning.
The HPG Standards present the SCADA system’s data, graphics, alarms, and trends in a more visually pronounced, concise and content-centric way. Colors, and the amount of graphics are minimized to reduce eyestrain and visual clutter. High performance graphics facilitate the Operator’s situational awareness to quickly assess operational parameters, system upsets, diagnostics, and to streamline decision making. By surrounding the data with useful context, we provide information about how the system is performing, i.e. where the system is relative to where the system should be, and equally as important – – where it shouldn’t be. Process values are displayed both numerically and graphically, showing the current value relative to the measurement range within a fixed two-hour historical trend. Relevant control settings and alarms are also displayed within the graphical and historical representation of the value.
Not Just Bells and Whistles
The SCADA Application based on the HPG Standards doesn’t distract Operators with bright colors, flashy animations, and overly crowded screens. The discretionary use of color and symbols directs Operator attention to important operations and maintenance concerns. For example, a yellow “X” indicates “not good”, a white check mark indicates “good.” The “not good” conditions visually pop out of the background while “good” conditions blend in.
Graphics Display Hierarchy
Graphics display hierarchy is another HPG concept used in the Exeter design. Screens are separated into two generic categories: Process Overview and Process Control. Process Overview screens display information for all associated processes and equipment, allowing Operators to quickly interpret system performance and make informed decisions about corrective action as necessary. Process Control screens are accessed from page navigation buttons on the Overview screens and contain setpoints, alarm control, or equipment control features. Reducing the amount of control features on Overview screens removes screen clutter that can both detract and distract from their intended purpose.
Informed Adaptation
Strict adherence to ISA standards is not necessary in order to benefit from the goals that the applications were developed to achieve. Wright-Pierce can assist you in adapting ISA Standards to develop SCADA applications that work for your specific processes, and your Operations staff. The integration of HPG Standards has increased Operator efficiency and responsiveness in Exeter, resulting in more effective control and management of their wastewater systems.
We Can Help
Is your SCADA System confusing? Is the SCADA information getting lost or difficult to discern or understand? Is your SCADA System not performing within operational parameters? Contact us today.