Why many control systems fail

摘要

When implementing real-time process control systems at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), several technical problems may have to be addressed. Sensors have to be reliable. Controllers should be properly designed and tuned. Fault detection should be implemented and safety nets designed. Actuators must have adequate control authority to deal with changing influent quality and quantity. But in their 1998 Water Science Technology (Vol. 37, No. 12, pp. 397-401) article "Reviewing, assessing, and speculating," G. Olsson and B. Newell argue that it is the "human factor" that is often neglected even though it creates more problems than the technology.