AWWA CSC91052

The expert system analyzer described in this paper uses information that can be routinely monitored by a SCADA system combined with other externally collected data and analyzes this information to identify potential trends in electricity use at a well. When used in conjunction with a SCADA system, the analyzer may be considered an efficiency watcher that watches the information collected by the SCADA system and identifies potential efficiency problems based on this information. Routine reports are prepared and, if the apparent efficiency of a well decreases outside of an acceptable range or a decreasing trend is identified, the watcher highlights this fact in the report. Rules for identifying such aberrant behavior are embodied in a "knowledge base" specified to the watcher by an expert familiar with the operation of wells, in general, and the operation of the specific wells being analyzed. Use of the watcher in conjunction with historical data refines the expertise for later use with the SCADA system watcher. The initial implementation of the efficiency watcher uses historical data that emulates the data that is routinely available from a SCADA system. It is an interactive, menu driven program written in the C language. The "watcher" concept could be extended to any other issues where information is available through a SCADA system and expertise may be used to analyze the information.