Computerized Systematic Approach to Fault Tree Analysis Based on Quantity Dimension Indexing

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamotsu Murakami ◽  
Toshiyuki Ishii
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Fault Tree ◽  
Fault Tree Analysis ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Previous Method ◽  
Tree Analysis ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Literal Expression ◽  
Physical Phenomena

Fault tree analysis (FTA) is an effective method of ensuring the security and safety of the product by identifying all the possible causes of the problem and fixing them. However, it is not easy for a designer to construct a complete fault tree about various physical phenomena without any misunderstanding or oversight, and some computerized method of managing (i.e., storing, searching and utilizing) knowledge about FTA is needed. To solve the problem, the authors have proposed and studied a method and software tool for knowledge management of FTA based on quantity dimension indexing as a design knowledge management method to avoid ambiguity of literal expression about physical phenomena. In the previous method and software, however, fault values of quantities were limited as just above- and below-normal, and dynamic phenomena such as oscillation could not be described. In this paper, the authors introduce a systematically classified definition of fault values as above/below normal, one-side/both-sides, constant/varying, monotonic/non-monotonic and sudden/gradual, and expand the computerized systematic approach to FTA. Feasibility of the method was examined by applying it to fault tree examples made in a company.

Knowledge Management for Fault Tree Analysis Based on Quantity Dimension Indexing

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamotsu Murakami ◽  
Yosuke Kikuchi ◽  
Youji Hiraoka
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Fault Tree ◽  
Fault Tree Analysis ◽  
Design Knowledge ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Tree Analysis ◽  
Actual Design ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
Literal Expression ◽  
Physical Phenomena

In this paper, the authors propose computerized support for fault tree analysis (FTA) based on a new design knowledge management approach called quantity dimension indexing. FTA is a method of analyzing and visualizing the causes of fault events by expanding a fault event hierarchically to its possible cause events and constructing a tree diagram representing the entire structure of the problem. When a designer finds or encounters a problem during a product design and development process, an effective way of ensuring the security and safety of the product is to identify all the possible causes of the problem by FTA and fix them. Although FTA is an effective method, it is not easy for a designer to construct a complete fault tree without any misunderstanding or oversight. A promising approach for supporting FTA is to utilize a computerized knowledge management method. Although many knowledge management techniques for literal expression have been developed, they are not necessarily suitable for managing the engineering design knowledge of physical phenomena. To solve this problem, the authors propose a new design knowledge management approach called quantity dimension indexing and computerized support for FTA such as the verification of consistency of a fault tree and fault tree construction advice. By analyzing fault tree examples based on actual design activities in a company, the possible feasibility and future promise of the proposed approach are indicated.

FTAe – Fault Tree Analysis in Microsoft Excel

2014 ◽  
Vol 889-890 ◽  
pp. 591-594
Author(s):  
Richard Kuracina ◽  
Denis Šandor ◽  
Karol Balog
Keyword(s):  
Fault Tree ◽  
Fault Tree Analysis ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Short Description ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Tree Analysis ◽  
Minimal Cut Sets ◽  
Minimal Cut ◽  
Cut Set

FTAe is software tool for Fault Tree Analysis in Microsoft Excel. This paper is focused on short description of created FTAe. A brief description of Fault Tree Analysis is in the first part of paper. The Structure, Logic and Minimal Cut Sets in Fault Tree analysis is described too. Next part of this paper is focused on the choice of algorithm for cut set calculation and brief description of structure of FTAe. Finally, advantages of FTAe software in Microsoft Excel are described in conclusions.

Technical hazard identification in water treatment using fault tree analysis

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Beauchamp ◽  
Barbara J. Lence ◽  
Christian Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Fault Tree ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Fault Tree Analysis ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Tree Analysis ◽  
Operational Level ◽  
Filtration Step

In this qualitative paper, a method for technical and operational hazard identification of a water treatment plant is described. Here, fault tree analysis is applied to a physicochemical ultrafiltration (UF) membrane train, with the objectives of developing a systematic approach for organizing and improving our understanding of the hazards at the treatment plant operational level that affect the risk of infection from the pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum. The approach was successful in identifying many technical and operational hazards. The fault tree shows that water treatment plant operation is a complex task where many factors must be taken into account. Regarding the removal of C. parvum oocysts, most initiating events relate to the filtration step in the UF system. In the future, quantification of the probability of fault events may help to prioritize interventions at the operational level.

scholarly journals Instructional Software for Reliability Estimation and Fault Tree Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-109
Author(s):  
Rashpal Ahluwalia
Keyword(s):  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Fault Tree ◽  
Fault Tree Analysis ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Reliability Estimation ◽  
Instructional Software ◽  
Tree Analysis ◽  
Failure Data ◽  
State Dependent

This paper describes a software tool to introduce fundamental concepts of reliability and fault tree analysis to engineering students.  Students can fit common failure distributions to failure data.  The data can be complete, singly censored, or multiply censored.  The software computes distribution and goodness-of-fit parameters.  The students can use the tool to validate hand calculations.  Failure distributions and reliability values for various components can be identified and stored in a database.  Various components and sub-systems can be used to build series- parallel or complex systems.  The components data can also be used to build fault trees.  The software tool can compute reliability of complex state independent and state dependent systems.  The tool can also be used to compute failure probability of the top node of a fault tree.  The software was implemented in Visual Basic with SQL as the database.  It operates on the Windows 7 platform.

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