The development of electronics has made automation components more compact, more integrated, and more reliable. Twenty years experience in centralized control systems increases demands for higher automation functions. New techniques that were discovered to substitute for the incompatible conventional techniques have come into trial use increasingly. Under these circumstances, a number of factors will cause future changes even long experience can not forecast. This paper gives views on near furture supervisory control based on the present situation.

The sophisticated, large-scale network control of modern power systems requires further improvement in the function, performance, and reliability of supervisory control and data aquisition systems. The subjects for improvement include distributed system to increase reliability, human interface easy to use, linking hierarchical control by communication networks, operation support function, and improvement in computer system quality. This paper introduces Fuji Electric's measures, such as super A computer for large systems and compact A computer for small and medium systems, and also support systems and advanced telecontrol simulators for system development.

It is a long time since the decentralized-function systems were realized by the spread of high-performance microcomputers and LANs. The decentralized-function systems can be highly reliable in combination with a duplex computer system in a field such as supervisory and control system for water flow network of river and dams in which the minimum necessary functions are required to remain in case of trouble occured. Fuji Electric has supplied these decentralized-function systems to Sasazu Control Office for Jinzugawa river water flow network, Asaida Dam, and ShinInotani Dam of The Hokuriku Electric Power Co.,Inc. This paper gives an outline of the system and functions.

Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc. has introduced the systematic telecontrol system to strengthen and improve the daily instruction and operation work of field maintenance office, the first line of maintenance, and the back-operation of control office.This system in place of the conventional back-up telecontrol system has 110 telecontrol channels and a supervisory control capacity of 80 substations. This paper gives an outline of the system configuration, component equipment, and function.

Building tools are indispensable to the development of expert systems, In particular, domain shells are required for the effective development and easy maintenance of the knowledge base.This article gives an outline of FREXS/PS, domain shell for power systems, and our expert systems for fault location, fault restoration guidance, and secondary fault restoration guidance as examples of AI system developments.

In the field of electric power, further increase in the reliability of power supply has been demanded with switching over to information society. There is a strong tendency toward large-scale, advanced-function, high-performance power control systems including integrated, digital control of substations. Similarly in telecontrol, intelligent equipment is being put to practical use.To meet these customers'needs, Fuji Electric has developed new telecontrol equipment STC-1500/500 using advanced-function controller MICREX-F500. This paper gives a brief description of the equipment.

Maintenance was carried out by mobilizing many technical experts in periodical (time-based) maintenance that aims to maintain facility reliability. Facilities have recently deteriorated by long use as well as high availability, which has caused a demand to grasp the life expectancy of facilities. To meet the need, condition-based maintenance is adopted, aiming at diagnosis technique, on-line processing, and intelligent maintenance. When a new system is put to practical use, the life cycle cost of facilities should be evaluated.

The purpose of equipment maintenance is to make equipment fulfill functions fully without a hindrance in production. It requires not only regular inspection and periodical maintenance but also intelligent maintenance based on the knowledge and experience integrating the latest diagnosis technique, information processing technique, and artificial intelligence technique. This paper describes the placement of equipment diagnosis expert systems, that is, the core of intelligent maintenance, and introduces Fiji Electric's typical fault diagnosis expert system.

When a user uses an expert system(ES), it is important that he can obtain data intended by experts properly for his reasoning and can communicate measures based on the conclusion precisely. However, sentences and graphic representation are sometimes not enough to represent expert knowledge.
This paper introduces COMEX visual interface system developed by Fuji Electric, which improves in human interface, facilitates knowledge representation in ES building, and furnishes user friendly information through the use of pictures and sound as auxiliary means.

Many expert system(ES) have actively been applied in the field of machine condition diagnosis recently. This paper outlines a prototype ES for general rotating machine diagnosis built with expert system building tool "COMEX." This ES is structured by two diagnosis rules. "The primary diagnosis" is executed at forward reasoning based on equipment specification, information of five senses, and vibration data, and gives a rough result. Next, taking the previous result as a conclusion hypothesis, "the secondary diagnosis" is executed at backward reasoning based on the data of vibration analysis, and gives a final conclusion.

Recent information processing and control devices have become more and more complicated and upgraded with the requirements for advanced-function, labor-saving systems. These circumstances require a more advanced maintenance system and technique, resulting in the wide use of remote maintenance. This paper introduces the configuration and function of Fuji Electric's remote maintenance system FAMS.