The Synthesis of Fault Trees

Computer-assisted fault-tree construction using a knowledge-based approach

“…Lapp and Powers [47,48,49] devised a Fault-Tree Synthsis program that constructs fault trees for chemical processing plants from complex digraphs allowing process feedforward and feedback loops. A method for on-line hazard aversion and fault tree diagnosis in chemical processes has been developed by Ulerich and Powers [69], in which digraphs are used for fault tree construction, diagnosis, and fault detection.…”

“…Kelly et al [37,38,39,40] report on an alternate digraph method of fault tree construction applied to a chemical processing plant in which they correct some of the pitfalls of previous digraph fault tree synthesis methods. Recently, Andrews and Brennan [3]; Boschefll, 12, 13]; and Change and Hwang [17] have used digraphs as inputs to fault tree synthesis improving on the original Lapp and Powers method [47,48,49]. In the Computer Automated Tree (CAT) code [63,79], decision tables are used as input to generate fault trees for electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems.…”

An improved minimal cut set algorithm

“…FTA is regarded today as an established methodology for the safety and reliability study of large and complex systems.A historical use of fault tree analysis was made by Professor Rasmussen when he carried out the well-known WASH 1400 study [6]. This was the first scientific attempt to provide quantitative risk analyses of nuclear power plants.In the WASH 1400 study, fault tree analysis was used to estimate the probability of each event in the accident path and that of the overall probability of various types of accidents.Since 1961, a significant amount of time and effort has been spent constructing, using, evaluating and applying fault trees to compute the overall reliability of a wide spectrum of complex systems including electrical systems[7-9], chemical processing systems [10][11][12][13], nuclear reactor safety study [14][15][16][17][18][19][20], product safety [21][22][23] and decision making in systems analysis [24,25].The fundamental concept in fault tree analysis is the translation of a physical system into a structured logic diagram (called a fault tree), in which specified causes lead to one, and only one, specific and undesired event (normally called the top event). Fault tree analysis can be conveniently divided into four main stages:(1) system definition;(2) fault tree construction;(3) qualitative evaluation;(4) quantitative evaluation.…”

“…Since 1961, a significant amount of time and effort has been spent constructing, using, evaluating and applying fault trees to compute the overall reliability of a wide spectrum of complex systems including electrical systems[7-9], chemical processing systems [10][11][12][13], nuclear reactor safety study [14][15][16][17][18][19][20], product safety [21][22][23] and decision making in systems analysis [24,25].…”