Tabulator (Table)

Tabulator (Table) chart type, unlike graphical charts, presents data in a raw, precise, and detailed format. It is a table-based chart type used for detailed analysis in SCADA, power generation, and operational reporting. While charts generally present data as a more interpretable visual summary, Tabulator allows users to directly view the relevant values and examine them on a record-by-record basis.

Tabulator is suitable for organizing data into rows and columns, directly comparing numerical values, and examining large datasets through operations such as filtering, sorting, and grouping.

Basic Approach: The purpose of Tabulator is not simply to “display data,” but to enable users to drill down into data details. For this reason, it plays an important role particularly on screens where precise measurements, records, performance values, and comparison results need to be examined.

Row–Column Structure

Measurement, event, or performance records are displayed in rows and columns within an organized table.

Sorting and Comparison

Numerical or textual fields can be sorted to quickly identify records with high, low, or otherwise specified criteria.

Filtering and Grouping

Users can focus only on the plant, unit, date, status, or measurement group of interest, making large datasets more manageable.

When Should It Be Used?

  • When precise numerical values are important: When measurement or performance values need to be directly visible.
  • When inspection and verification are required: When records need to be examined and verified individually.
  • When comparison is performed row by row: For comparisons between units, turbines, plants, or periods.
  • When users need to inspect and query data: When specific records need to be filtered, sorted, or grouped.

Use Cases in SCADA and Energy Systems

Scenario Information That Can Be Monitored in the Table Primary Purpose
Hourly / Daily Generation Date, time, unit, MW, MWh Detailed examination of generation values
Unit / Turbine Performance Active power, efficiency, operating time, status Comparison between units
Alarm and Event Records Time, source, alarm, status, acknowledgment Event-based analysis and inspection
Shutdown / Failure / Maintenance Start, end, cause, duration, equipment Tracking shutdown causes and maintenance records
Water and Ecological Flow Flow rate, water use, ecological flow, period Detailed monitoring of hydraulic operation
Efficiency Tests Test point, power, flow rate, efficiency, result Record-level examination of performance results
Sensor Health and Calibration Sensor, measurement, quality, calibration date Monitoring measurement reliability
Multiple Plants / Cascade Plant, unit, generation, efficiency, status Portfolio and plant comparison
Fuel and Thermal Efficiency Fuel consumption, power, heating value, efficiency Performance analysis in thermal / natural gas power plants
Emissions and Environmental Compliance Measurement, limit, value, time Environmental performance and compliance monitoring
Maintenance Plan Work order, equipment, planned, actual Tracking maintenance plans and execution status
Market and Grid Compliance Schedule, actual power, deviation Schedule-to-actual comparison
Unit Active Power (MW) Efficiency (%) Status Alarms
Turbine-1 32.4 91.8 Normal 2
Turbine-2 35.1 93.2 Normal 1
Turbine-3 28.6 89.7 Partial Load 4

Example: Power, efficiency, operating status, and alarm count can be displayed together on the same screen, enabling direct comparison between units.

AlarmList (Alarm Table)

AlarmList (Alarm Table) is a real-time, event-oriented, and operational chart type specifically designed for SCADA and industrial monitoring systems. Its primary purpose is to enable operators, plant engineers, and maintenance teams to quickly assess what types of alarm events occur in the system and how frequently they occur.

AlarmList presents alarms generated by the system sorted according to their occurrence frequency, allowing the most frequently recurring alarm types to appear at the top. In this way, it helps answer not only the question “which alarms exist?” but also “which problem keeps recurring?”

Operational Perspective: A high alarm count does not by itself mean that the equipment is in a critical condition. The primary value of AlarmList is to make recurring alarm patterns visible and help operators and maintenance teams determine investigation priorities.

Alarm Frequency

Displaying the most frequently recurring alarm types at the top makes chronic or recurring problems easier to identify.

Time-Based Intensity

Concentration of alarm events during specific periods of the day can help investigate possible relationships with load changes or operating conditions.

Maintenance Priority

Making recurring alarm groups visible can help indicate which equipment or discipline should receive priority during maintenance and failure investigations.

Use Cases in SCADA and Energy Systems

⚡ Thermal Power Plant Control Room

  • Boiler pressure alarms
  • Turbine vibration warnings
  • Auxiliary system alarms

AlarmList can help recurring alarm groups be identified quickly in the control room and direct the operator's attention toward problems that are becoming concentrated.

☀️ Solar / Wind Power Plant Monitoring

  • Inverter failures
  • Communication losses
  • Limit-exceedance alarms

In solar and wind power plant applications with large numbers of field devices, highlighting recurring alarm types can help field maintenance teams identify problematic points more quickly.

🔌 Transformers and Switchyards

  • Overcurrent
  • Overtemperature
  • Protection relay alarms

AlarmList supports operational assessment by allowing events from protection and switchgear equipment to be examined according to their recurrence frequency.

🌊 Hydroelectric Power Plants

Turbine–Generator Set

Identifying the most frequently recurring problems on the turbine and generator can facilitate investigation of persistent equipment behavior.

Gates and Hydraulic Actuators

Repeated movement, position, or hydraulic pressure alarms in gate and valve systems can help investigate possible mechanical fatigue or hydraulic leakage.

Lubrication and Cooling Systems

Making recurring oil pressure, temperature, flow, or cooling alarms visible supports the investigation of chronic problems in auxiliary systems.

Alarm intensity by operating period:

  • Morning load-ramping hours: Monitoring alarms that become concentrated during increasing load.
  • Night-time low load: Examining alarm patterns that occur during low-load operation.
  • Peak hours: Identifying hydraulic problems triggered under high-power and high-flow conditions.

This approach makes it possible to treat an alarm not merely as an isolated event, but as an operational signal that should be evaluated together with the operating condition.

Rank Alarm Equipment Occurrences Intensity
1 Low Oil Pressure Turbine-2 126 High
2 Actuator Position Error Gate-3 94 High
3 Cooling Water Flow Auxiliary System 71 Medium
4 Vibration Warning Turbine-1 46 Medium

Example: Placing the most frequently recurring alarm at the top makes it easier for operators and maintenance teams to determine investigation priorities.

Tabulator and AlarmList Comparison

Feature Tabulator AlarmList
Primary Purpose Detailed data analysis Alarm and event monitoring
Data Structure General table / record Alarm / event record
Filtering One of the primary use cases Alarm-focused analysis
Sorting By value or field Alarm frequency and operational priority
Key Use Generation, performance, maintenance, reporting SCADA alarm and event analysis
Target Users Operators, engineers, analysts, managers Operators, operations and maintenance engineers

Practical Selection: When users need to examine and compare many different data fields and locate specific records, Tabulator is more suitable. When the focus is on the recurrence frequency, intensity, and operational evaluation of SCADA alarm events, AlarmList is the more suitable chart type.

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