Operations Control Center Research Articles

Sky Watcher

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s new Satellite Operations Control Center lies partially buried in a Maryland landscape even as its rooftop dish antennas scan the skies to monitor and control the nation’s weather satellites. Design challenges for this iconic structure included the structural systems needed to support the array of rotating antennas as well as the differing visions of the government agencies that would own and occupy the facility.

Case Study of the Austin Energy Dell Regional Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas Packaged Hybrid CHP Energy Plant in Austin, Texas

Innovative approach to designing an integrated packaged andmodular hybrid energy plant allows for improved reliability, redun-dancy and ef ficiency. Austin Energy, who will own and operate thisplant, selected Burns & McDonnell as their packaged plant integrator.Austin Energy has signed an energy services agreement to provide thenew hospital with power, chilled water and steam.The plant is the first of its kind in the State of Texas using theCHP module to generate primary power for the Dell Children’s Medi-cal Center of Central Texas with the grid providing backup power. Thepackaged and modular CHP plant will utilize the state-of-the-art SolarTurbines Mercury 50 combustion turbine, which has a simple cycle heatrate ef ficiency of 38 percent and produces less than 5 ppm NO x andmeets the Texas 2005 emission mandate without the need for a catalyst,counting the thermal bene fits of steam and chilled water. In addition,the hybrid plant will utilize a heat recovery steam generator, packagedchiller plant and boiler, absorption cooling and thermal energy storageto maximize system ef ficiency, operational flexibility and reliability ofservices to the hospital and the campus district cooling system.
 The hybrid energy plant control system will allow the system tobe remotely monitored and operated from an off-site operational controlcenter. This article will provide insight into the design of the hybridenergy plant and present features and bene fits to this type of packagedand modular system approach. In addition to hospitals that have a needfor grid independence, universities, airports, and other critical facilities,such as data centers, will bene fit from this type of packaged hybridenergy plant approach.

Main Control System at MTR – Its Evolution and Development

Over the last decade, Railway Operations have become ever more sophisticated. In a modern railway, there are more than 20 systems to be housed in a giant console in the Station Control Room of every station as well as in the Operations Control Centre. On the other hand, ergonomics and optimal staffing level are critical success factors to the operation of a railway like MTR Corporation. To address the above issues, an integrated Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was introduced for Lantau Airport Railway (LAR) that started service in mid 1998. As a result, Main Control System (MCS) emerged. Such approach was also applied in Tseung Kwan O Line (TKL) that started service in August 2002. Main Control System is a new provision in modern railways and its history is less than 10 years. The paper compares the two generations of MCS developed for LAR and TKL. The sub-systems, configuration and architecture, equipment provision, key design information, and alarm levels defined in the system are compared. Finally, the evolutionary changes are summarised and the paper concludes that there will be continuous improvements to the MCS model due to evolutionary changes in railway operation as well as technology advancements.

Strategic Command and Control for Maneuver Warfare: Creation of the Royal Navy's "War Room" System, 1905-1915

Between 1905 and 1914, the British Board of Admiralty developed and implemented a revolutionary system of naval command and control intended to facilitate the adoption of maneuver warfare strategy and built upon the concept of what is known today as "information dominance." Under Admiral Sir John Fisher, the Admiralty transformed itself into the Royal Navy's operational command and control center and in the process fundamentally redefined the relationship between the supreme command and the fleet (and theatre) commanders. Adoption of the "War Room" system entailed coordination of British investment in global communications infrastructure as well as the centralization of gathering and processing of intelligence from around the world.

A model for projecting flight delays during irregular operation conditions

On-time performance of airlines schedule is key factor in maintaining current customer satisfaction and attracting new ones. This requires management of the different operation resources (crew/aircraft) to ensure their on-time readiness for each flight in the planned schedule. However, flight schedules are often subjected to irregularity. In particular, weather accounts for nearly 75% of system delays. Due to the tight connection among airlines resources, these delays could dramatically propagate over time and space unless the proper recovery actions are taken. This paper presents a model which projects flight delays and alerts for possible future breaks during irregular operation conditions. The results of applying the model at the operation control center of a major airlines company in the US are presented.

Application of Neural-Network Modules to Electric Power System Fault Section Estimation

This paper presents a neural system intended to aid the control center operator in the task of fault section estimation. Its analysis is based on information about the operation of protection devices and circuit breakers. In order to allow the diagnosis task, the protection system philosophy of busbars, transmission lines, and transformers are modeled with the use of two types of neural networks: the general regression neural network and the multilayer perceptron neural network. The tool described in this paper can be applied to real bulk power systems and is able to deal with topological changes without having to retrain the neural networks.

Human Information Flow and Communication Pattern in NASA Mission Control System

This study is a preliminary effort to explore human information flow and communication pattern in an operation-critical and time-constrained collaboration environment such as NASA Mission Control System. Understanding information flow and communication pattern is a key step for improving the reliability and accuracy of a complex Human-Machine system. It also can be applied to design a better communication system for future NASA Mission Control Center operations. The information flow and communication pattern analysis based on NASA mission control training simulations indicates that there is no significant utilization difference among communication channels, however, the communication channel's burst rate is significantly affected by phase, mission and channel type.

The Impact of September 11, 2001 on United States Aviation

By August of 2001 U.S. air travel was already in decline as a sluggish economy had dampened passenger demand. Then the events of September 11, 2001, like none before in aviation history, dramatically decreased air traffic activity in the weeks that followed. The sharp post-9/11 decline and the reasons for it were obvious and generally well understood. But what about long-term structural changes to patterns in National Airspace System (NAS) traffic flows? What were the post-9/11 changes and to what extent did the NAS return to pre-9/11 operation levels in the following six months?Employing a variety of data sources, we found a 15% drop in air carrier airport operations (arrivals and departures) due to 9/11 through February 2002. We also found a 4% drop in air taxi operations, a 7% drop in general aviation operations, and a 9% drop in total operations. Air Route Traffic Control Center operations dropped 6% due to a 14% drop in air carrier operations. These reduction numbers have been discounted for both seasonal variations in traffic as well as the softening economy in 2001 prior to 9/11. Three initial observed responses in scheduled airport operations were elimination of the last bank, fewer operations throughout the day, and removal or shifting of banks throughout the day. Where the last bank was eliminated, March 2002 data indicated these were returning. Arrival delays initially fell to 30% of October 2000 levels and remained below half of the previous year’s rates through February 2002. There was also a significant reduction in both airborne and taxi times due to fewer flights and less airspace congestion. This study serves as a snapshot of the effects of 9/11 on U.S. aviation six months afterwards.

An integrated maritime surveillance system based on high-frequency surface-wave radars. 2. Operational status and system performance

For pt.1 see ibid., vol.43, no.4, p.28-43 (2001). An integrated maritime surveillance (IMS) system, based on high-frequency surface wave radars (HFSWR), for monitoring surface and low-level air activity within the 200 nautical mile (nm) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is described in this two-part paper. The science behind the long-range performance of HFSWR was presented in Part 1(Sevgi et al. 2001). The system described was installed on Canada's east coast, where it is being used to demonstrate continuous, all-weather surveillance of the EEZ to beyond 200 nm. The system consists of two land-based HFSWRs and an operations control center (OCC). The two unmanned radars provide coverage of the Grand Banks region of Newfoundland, renowned for its offshore resources, particularly fish and oil. The system has been designed to assist authorities to more efficiently monitor such illegal activities as drug trafficking, smuggling, piracy, illicit fishing and illegal immigration. In addition, the system may be used for tracking icebergs, environmental protection, search and rescue, resource protection, sovereignty monitoring, and remote sensing of ocean surface currents and winds. Extensive performance testing of the system has been conducted using the two fully functional radars. It is shown that the HFSWR system complements existing surveillance assets to dramatically increase the effectiveness of air and surface reconnaissance missions by vectoring them directly to targets of interest.

The Image Science and Mission Operations Center

The Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) will produce forefront science by quantifying the response of the magnetosphere to the time variable solar wind. It will acquire, for the first time, a variety of three-dimensional images of magnetospheric boundaries and plasma distributions extending from the magnetopause to the inner plasmasphere. The images will be produced on time scales needed to answer important questions about the interactions of the solar wind and the magnetosphere. The IMAGE team will provide open access to all IMAGE data. Thus there will be no proprietary rights or periods. All IMAGE data products will be archived and available to the scientific research community. The IMAGE mission will operate with a near 100% duty cycle with all instruments in their baseline operational modes. A Science and Mission Operations Control Center or SMOC has been developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to be the main data and command processing system for IMAGE. The IMAGE Level-0 data will be processed into Level 0.5 and Level-1 data and browse products within 24 hours after their receipt of raw data in the SMOC. These data products will be transferred to the NSSDC., for long-term archiving, and posted immediately on the world-wide-web for use by the international scientific community and the public.

Rapid Transit Operations Control Center State-of-Technology Review

A human factors study team recently conducted a state-of-technology review of numerous transit and non-transit operations control centers. This study was conducted in order to address the current technological advancements in modern operations control centers and the issues associated with the current reduction of operators required to perform transit system operations. Key technical advancements are creating an operations control center environment that when performing within system boundaries requires virtually no attention. Yet, when the system strays from these operational boundaries (i.e., emergency situations) the complexity of the numerous systems stresses the capabilities of the individual human component. Identification and utilization of operator capabilities paired with optimum equipment selection is critical albeit often discounted. Therefore, a comprehensive state-of-technology review is a critical path towards utilizing numerous operations control center sites and their individual implementation of human factors related design considerations. This paper presents the methodology, findings, and conclusions from the state-of-technology review as relating to operational human factors issues.

The “Smart” Tool: Impacts on An Airline Operations Control Center

SMART (Self-Managed Arrival Resequencing Tool) is an automation capability which allows airspace users to manage their own arrival flows. Through the interventions of ground delay and airborne speed-control, users may affect the timing and sequencing of arrival flights. New procedures for coordination with Air Traffic Control are not needed. However, some changes in the procedures in the airline Operations Control Center (OCC) are required. Proper training and coordination among the dispatcher and pilot are needed. This article describes the experience in installing a demonstration version of SMART and the changes in the roles and responsibilities of the OCC.

BeppoSAX Attitude Operations for GRB Follow Up

This poster describes the attitude dynamics software, Attitude and Orbit Control Ground Support System (AOCGSS), which was developed by TELESPAZIO and integrated in the Operations Control Centre (OCC), in order to support the on ground operations of the Attitude & Orbit Control Subsystem (AOCS). In particular its involvement during the operations performed to carry out the Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Follow Up is described.

Better KBS for real-time applications in power system control centers: the experience of SPARSE project

Modern Power System Control Centers must operate and control medium and large electrical networks that usually cover a large geographic area. The accomplishment of these tasks has been made possible due to important developments in computer and communication technologies. Nowadays, complex Power Systems require a very accurate and efficient control that makes Control Centers especially important. These centers are equipped with SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems allowing to acquire information about the Power System and its transmission to Control Centers in real-time. Due to the symbolic nature of the reasoning involved in some control tasks, Artificial Intelligence techniques appeared as a promising solution. Some years ago, some of the most important electrical utilities around the world began to develop knowledge-based applications to incorporate in their Control Centers. These applications deal with the information available in the Control Center and help operators in decision making. On the other hand, the duration of this kind of project is still rather long and the total number of deployed systems all over the world is still very low. This paper deals with what we consider the most important points for the success of Artificial Intelligence applications in Control Centers.

The Pre-Requisite for Success: Verification and Validation of the Envisat Spacecraft Flight Operations Control Centre

The ENVISAT satellite is the next step in the Earth Observation Programme of the European Space Agency. It is larger and more complex than its predecessor satellites ERS1&2. The paper presents the approach to system level validation and verification of the ENVISAT Flight Control Centre that is responsible for command and control, and mission planning of the satellite during the various in-orbit operation phases. Improvements that help to increase the efficiency of the system-level testing of the mission control facilities are described. The paper concludes with some recommendations for the effective verification of large control systems.

Irregular airline operations: a review of the state-of-the-practice in airline operations control centers

The primary purpose of this paper is to summarize the state-of-the-practice in Airline Operations Control Centers (AOCC) during the aftermath of irregular airline operations. An overview of the structure of a typical AOCC is given as the foundation of the discussion. The main causes of irregularities are considered, using operational data from the US domestic market. A review of the current information systems, and decision support systems in use in AOCCs is given, based on field trips to US airlines, and an international carrier based in the Asia Pacific region. An extensive literature review of research on the topic of irregular airline operations is presented, and a new decision framework is introduced.

Metric for systems evaluation and design of satellite-based Internet links

A metric of the cost to maintain a 1.544 Mbps link is developed for systems evaluation of satellite based Internet links. The major limiting factors addressed are satellite power resources, achievable link margins, rain attenuation, and distributed market models. The life cycle costs are estimated for satellite design and construction, launch, insurance, gateways, gateway and control center operations, and terrestrial Internet connections. The cost per Tl minute to obtain a given internal rate of return is calculated from the achievable capacity and cost estimates. The metric is evaluated for five modeled systems in geosynchronou s and low Earth orbits to demonstrate the applicability of the metric to the systems engineering and design process. The metric shows the sensitivity of the systems to market variations and illustrates the criticality of beam placement and deployment strategies to minimize risk.

Incorporation of voltage stability operating limits in composite system adequacy assessment: BC Hydro's experience

This paper presents an approach for incorporating actual voltage stability operating limits (VSOL) in the composite power system adequacy evaluation. The VSOL curves are fitted into simplex-type straight lines and added in the linear programming model for minimizing load curtailment as additional constraints. The incorporated voltage stability limits are those calculated for the operators in the power system control center. The introduction of the actual limits therefore leads to adequacy evaluation closer to the operation reality with very little overhead since the voltage stability operating limits are pre-calculated for system operation. The case studies for BC Hydro's 500/230 kV system are given and discussed.

Sparse: an intelligent alarm processor and operator assistant

The Sparse intelligent alarm processor helps operators at power system control centers to rapidly interpret enormous quantities of alarm messages during incidents (for example, short circuits in transmission lines). Operators have been using Sparse in the field, with positive results. Sparse's main goal is to help substation control center operators during incidents to rapidly interpret the enormous quantity of alarm messages that Scada systems can generate, and to minimize the amount of nonsupplied power.

Comparison of different screening techniques for the contingency selection function

This paper is intended to discuss some features of the present day contingency selection techniques and show that the combination of those techniques may improve the efficiency of the process. In particular two techniques, namely pre-screening by adaptive pre-filter and screening by expert systems are revisited. Both techniques are tested by using a number of systems. The results show that the speed of pre-screening combined with the explanation capability of reliable expert systems can provide the operators of on-line control centers with fast and detailed information on the system security at every cycle of operation.