Fault-tree-based risk assessment for dynamic condition changes

Abstract

In order to apply a static fault-tree (FT) method to a system or a plant whose configuration changes dynamically, condition gates and a post processing method are used to effectively accommodate these changes. An operator's performance change, which can be caused by these configuration changes, should also be considered to assess the risk to a plant in a more realistic manner. This study aims to develop an integrated framework to accommodate various configuration changes and their effect on an operator's performance by using the FT model. We applied a condition-based human reliability assessment (CBHRA) method to consider various conditions endured by an operator. That is, we integrated the CBHRA method with the conventional post processing method for modeling the system configuration changes. The effect of the condition monitoring systems installed in a plant is also considered. In this study, we show an example application of the integrated framework to a probabilistic safety assessment for the shutdown phase of a nuclear power plant.