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Hill, Rachael

Publications and source records attributed to Hill, Rachael.

5 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Human Factors Design for Particle Accelerator Control Room Interfaces

Fermilab, the birthplace of many scientific discoveries in physics and particle accelerator sciences, is in the midst of a widescale modernization effort. The Accelerator Control Operations Research Network (ACORN project’s goal is to modernize the accelerator control system by replacing end-of-life power supplies and enhance future operations of the Fermilab accelerator complex with megawatt particle beams. Within ACORN, opportunities for process improvement concerning software development, human-system interface design, and task performance are also being considered. Human factors researchers from Idaho National Laboratory in collaboration with usability experts from Fermilab, are currently investigating human-centered design improvements for the accelerator control system. For example, substantial tribal knowledge and memory recall are required to effectively operate the accelerator system. This contributes to high cognitive workload and potential burnout of accelerator operators. Developing guidance for consistent visual and functional design enables a more intuitive interaction and relieves operators of cognitive burden. Additionally, developing more intuitive and integrated interfaces can also lead to improved accelerator efficacy by empowering operators with greater understanding and control of the systems. The challenge in developing such interfaces is in designing for a wide variety of user goals, system specifications, and level of experience in users. The challenges need to be met while e also considering the maintainability of the control system. The purpose of this paper is to detail the human factors process and design within the ACORN project, describe results gathered thus far, and discuss the larger implications for this work.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Human-System Interface Style Guide for ACORN Digital Control System

The purpose of this style guide is to assist developers in designing effective and consistent-looking user interfaces for accelerator control rooms. A similar purpose is to help developers avoid the creation of user interfaces that needlessly stray from the accepted standard set forth in this document. This way, all interfaces combined will look congruous. This is especially beneficial for development that spans multiple years by many different contributors. This document is intended as a ready reference source for all user interface design for the Fermilab accelerator complex.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design Philosophy for Accelerator Control Rooms

This report describes the foundational human factors principles needed to design user interfaces for accelerator control rooms. These principles are presented as recommendations for accelerator control system interface design and are illustrated with examples drawn from accelerator operations at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). These high-level principles are intended to serve as design objectives that apply generally across all control system interfaces developed for the accelerator complex. These principles will be mapped to more specific design guidance that will be provided in a style guide for accelerator operations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Methodology to Support the Development of a New State Vision for the U.S. Nuclear Industry

Recent changes in natural gas prices combined with reduced capital costs for solar and wind systems has created challenges for the continued operation of existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the United States. A new strategy in the way in which U.S. NPPs are operated, maintained, and supported is needed. One such strategy is to transform the NPP operating model through a business-driven approach that leverages technology to enable new capabilities that improve performance and reduce costs. This paper presents a methodology for developing an achievable yet transformative new state vision that ensures the continued safe and efficient operations of the U.S. NPP fleet. Here this work builds on existing guidance and leverages previous research to comprehensively address both utility needs and high-level human factors engineering design principles when developing a new state vision. The proposed methodology is intended to provide industry-wide guidance for developing a new state vision that leverages both the selected vendor’s capabilities in a way that meets the utility’s modernization goals while ensuring state-of-the-art systems engineering and human factors engineering principles are applied that promote overall plant safety, performance, and efficiency.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗