Work Domain Analysis of Electric Transmission Networks and Operation

Electric networks are globally significant systems being transformed to support increased wind and solar generation. Operating such networks requires managing not just components but weather, fuel, power flow, stability, operability, reliability, and more. To structure development of real-time operator support, we developed a conceptual model of electric transmission network operation that represents physical, functional, and purposeful distinctions and summaries used by experts at a North American transmission operator and reliability coordinator. The model scope includes 193 concepts at multiple levels of abstraction and scale, related in psychologically relevant terms according to the work domain analysis (WDA) theoretic framework. To manage this scale, we used both conceptual and topological decomposition, and linked prototypical examples to specifics of particular power grids. Figures in this article are accompanied by a web-browsable interactive digital supplement to navigate, interrogate, and review this model. We applied this model to human performance improvement projects including aligning conventions for technical visual communications and designing novel grid operational overview displays. This WDA provides a complementary perspective to grid ontologies proposed as knowledge models for future intelligent grid control systems.

I. Introduction

Interconnected electric power systems are arguably the largest complex socio-technical systems ever built. Their design is guided by many functional models, such as technical [1], electro-physical, and social [2], which are nontrivial to inter-relate. When new functions such as economic markets are added, surprising conflicts can arise [3, p. 7]. Now, grids are integrating unprecedented weather-driven generation and societal electrification, requiring innovation in supervisory control. Such challenges have motivated efforts to standardize “smart” grid concepts to structure stakeholder interactions and even software architecture using conceptual modeling [4], [5].