SPARSE-an intelligent alarm processor for Portuguese transmission control centres

Power system control centres (CC) supervise and control the operation of electrical networks, using real-time information acquired through a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system. The interaction of CC operators with the control system is of prime importance for the efficiency of electrical network operation. In traditional systems this interaction is especially difficult under incident conditions. User interfaces with intelligent and adaptive characteristics, together with intelligent processing of the information can contribute significantly to the improvement of CC operator performance. The paper presents SPARSE, an expert system for alarm processing and operator assistance in service restoration in the Portuguese transmission network. This system presents intelligent and adaptive behaviour, providing better interaction with CC operators.