The chemical processing industry have been working together for at least 15 years on related topics.
http://www.asmconsortium.net/deployment/guidelines/Pages/default.aspx

Might be something in there that help.
Specifically display standards and alarm rationalisation ("every alarm should have a unique action", if there is nothing the operator on shift can do about an alarm it should be journaled).

ZombieEngineer

This could feasibly be used to make a practical air conditioner by having a segmented disk shape block that allows air to pass through.

Outside air would pass through one half of the disk that is currently energised (the electric field orders the polymer and thus releases heat).

The inside air would pass through the other half that is currently not energised (the relaxation of the electric field allows the material to absorb heat).

The disk rotates with segments shifting between the outside / inside halves, the electric field is applied by a simple electric comutation.

This is not a true "no moving parts" system but it has the potential to be an order of magnitude quieter than the current air conditioning units.

ZombieEngineer