Improvement of Fault Tree Analysis in Formal Safety Assessment Using Binary Decision Diagram

Author(s):  
Yao Cai ◽  
Zhengjiang Liu ◽  
Zhaolin Wu
Author(s):  
Zhenxu Zhou ◽  
Hao Nie ◽  
Qin Zhang

Fault tree analysis (FTA) has been proven to be a very important tool and has been successfully applied to safety/reliability studies in nuclear, chemical, military, space industries/systems. Hitherto, several useful and popular FTA software/program packages have been developed, like CAFTA+, FAUNET, RiskSpectrum, SAPHIRE, RiskA etc. Minimum Cut Set (MCS) method is the most commonly used traditional FTA method. However, it suffers from low efficiency when solving remarkably large fault trees (FTs). To overcome the shortcomings of the traditional method, several new techniques are proposed such as Binary Decision Diagram (BDD), Zero-suppressed Binary Decision Diagram, (ZBDD) Petri Net (PN), Bayesian Network (BN) and Dynamic Uncertain Causality Graph (DUCG). DUCG is a newly presented Probabilistic Graphic Model to deal with systems with dynamics, uncertainties and logic cycles. DUCG is a good choice to analyze large FTs, in our previous papers, we have proved that any FT can be mapped into a DUCG graph and additional modeling and analytical power can be achieved. DeRisk is a DUCG embedded risk analysis program package written in C# for FTA and is designed as a powerful tool to assist reliability engineers. In this paper, the design schema and the main algorithms of DeRisk are introduced. DeRisk contains five parts: (1) A Graphical User Interface (GUI) Module which interacts with users; (2) A Preprocessing Module which preprocesses FTs (3) An Input Module which allows user to input necessary data by file or by command line; (4) A Calculation Module which offers qualitative/quantitative analysis; (5) An Output Module which outputs the results required by users. Some illustrative examples are used to verify the correctness and effectiveness of DeRisk.


Author(s):  
Guofeng Tang ◽  
Jingyu Zhang ◽  
Wei Gao ◽  
Qinfang Zhang

Zero-suppressed Binary Decision Diagram (ZBDD) algorithm is an advanced method in fault tree analysis, which is developing quickly in recent years and being used in the development of the Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) Quantification Engine. This algorithm converts a fault tree to a ZBDD structure, solves the minimal cut sets and calculates the top node unavailability. The ordering of the basic events and logical gates is the core technique of the ZBDD algorithm, which determines the efficiency of the ZBDD conversion and the size of the ZBDD structure. A variable ordering method based on the structure of the fault tree is developed in this paper, which gives a better basic events order by compressing the fault tree; meanwhile, the method offers a logical gates order. The nodes order derived from this method can accelerate the ZBDD conversion obviously.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-172
Author(s):  
Gregory Asuelimen ◽  
Eduardo Blanco-Davis ◽  
Jin Wang ◽  
Zaili Yang ◽  
Dante Benjamin Matellini

Abstract In maritime safety research, risk is assessed usually within the framework of formal safety assessment (FSA), which provides a formal and systematic methodology to improve the safety of lives, assets, and the environment. A bespoke application of FSA to mitigate accidents in marine seismic surveying is put forward in this paper, with the aim of improving the safety of seismic vessel operations, within the context of developing an economically viable strategy. The work herein takes a close look at the hazards in North Sea offshore seismic surveying, in order to identify critical risk factors, leading to marine seismic survey accidents. The risk factors leading to undesirable events are analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. A risk matrix is introduced to screen the identified undesirable events. Further to the screening, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is presented to investigate and analyse the most critical risks of seismic survey operation, taking into account the lack of historical data. The obtained results show that man overboard (MOB) event is a major risk factor in marine seismic survey operation; lack of training on safe work practice, slippery deck as a result of rain, snow or water splash, sea state affecting human judgement, and poor communication are identified as the critical risk contributors to the MOB event. Consequently, the risk control options are focused on the critical risk contributors for decision-making. Lastly, suggestions for the introduction and development of the FSA methodology are highlighted for safer marine and offshore operations in general.


2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchang Mo ◽  
Farong Zhong ◽  
Huawen Liu ◽  
Quansheng Yang ◽  
Gang Cui

1977 ◽  
Vol 72 (358) ◽  
pp. 482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Easterling ◽  
R. E. Barlow ◽  
J. B. Fussel ◽  
N. D. Singpurwalla

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