Explanation, training and decision support for process control

A methodology for designing process control support systems and an implementation is described. The methodology has been successfully used to develop an application that can be used to support operators of combined cycle power plants. The explanation system relies on a highly discriminating framework of the knowledge encountered and experienced by operators during a variety of tasks such as planning and execution. The operator's context specific knowledge needs are inferred from an analysis of tasks and a suitable explanation is given. The success of the application has been proven by the positive feedback obtained from the end-users, who completed rigorous end-user questionnaires.