A Study of the Control Skills of Gas Grid Control Engineers

Abstract

The need for research into the skills required to control complex processes is discussed. Gas grid control is chosen as a suitable task for investigating cognitive skills. Two techniques are employed to investigate the grid controllers'' skills. The first is an observational technique, and the second utilizes verbal protocols. The data from the 2 techniques are analyzed and the results described. Evidence on the grid controllers'' prediction and decision making behavior is presented; possible sources of performance limitation are identified. Two techniques of acquiring data on cognitive skills are compared and contrasted.