Sustainability and reliability ensurance models for automated technological systems in chemical industry: systemic ergonomic approach

Abstract

The paper considers accidents and potential hazards of the world chemical enterprises, and provides statistics of accidents and human casualties. The authors investigate harmful factors affecting the production process and a human-operator, showing the central role of a human in the technological process (both as a source of errors and as an active element that eliminates errors, failures and cyber attacks’ consequences). We essentially consider automated technological complex as a Human-Machine-Environment system, thus a human-system approach should be applied. The authors developed a complex of systemic components and morphological models, which describe the human-machine system in the sections required for analysis, to ensure sustainable and reliable design with initial data. The authors also propose a method and information technology for interfaces’ ergonomic assessment; the principles for adaptive interfaces design; and mathematical models and information technology to assess safety and timeliness indicators of the chemical production operators’ activities. The models are based on the principles of the functional-structural theory by Anatoly Gubinsky, Vladimir Evgrafov, Akiva Asherov, Pavel Chabaneko and others, and on the mathematical apparatus of functional networks. Further, the authors develop an optimization model for decision supporting organizing the human-machine control technology, using the criterion of minimizing losses from unreliability and unsustainability. Both the models and the information technology have undergone extensive testing, including solving the tasks of: choosing the automation level for the control process; distributing functions between operators; control algorithms design; user interface design, design of agent-managers to support the operators’ activities. The results can be used as the basis for a decision support system to ensure sustainability and reliability of automated technological systems in chemical industry.