MEASUREMENT BASED DEPENDABILITY ANALYSIS FOR DIGITAL SYSTEMS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A MEASUREMENT-BASED METHODOLOGY AND A TOOL SET TO IMPLEMENT THE METHODOLOGY FOR PROBABILISTIC ANALYSIS OF OPERATIONAL DATA FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES TO PROVIDE SYSTEMATIC AND OBJECTIVE EVALUATIONS OF RELIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY. THE RESULTS WILL BE A PARTICULAR USE FOR DEDICATION OF COMMERCIAL GRADE DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL (I&C) SYSTEMS IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, AND THEREBY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OBSOLETE RELAY AND ANALOG TECHNOLOGY BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WITH HIGHER PERFORMANCE AND LOWER MAINTENANCE COST. THE OVERALL NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS ARE SAFER NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS WITH LOWER OPERATING COSTS. THE METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER CRITICAL DIGITAL I&C SYSTEMS USED IN BOTH COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENTAL SECTORS. THE PHASE I EFFORT OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDES: DEVELOPMENT OF DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING METHODS, DEVELOPMENT OF PROBABILISTIC ANALYSIS METHODS IN THE EVALUATION OF RELIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY BASED ON OPERATIONAL DATA, AND THE TOP-LEVEL TOOL DESIGN. THE METHODOLOGY WILL BE ILLUSTRATED BY CASE STUDIES OF THEIR USES ON ACTUAL SYSTEMS. THE PHASE I RESULTS WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR DEVELOPING SOFTWARE TOOLS IN PHASE II.