Dependency consideration of passive system reliability by coupled stress-strength interference/functional relations of parameters approach

Samuel Abiodun Olatubosun and Zhijian Zhang

Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 2019, vol. 188, issue C, 549-560

Abstract: Thermal-hydraulic passive systems are currently being deployed in evolutionary nuclear reactors and often incorporated in the design of innovative ones. Passive safety systems are known to be safe, simple and economical but are characterized with uncertainties. To ensure reliable operations of these safety based front-line systems, it is essential to evaluate their reliability with dependable methods. One of the main principles in which the reliability of the systems is based is functional failure analysis (FFA) which is related to their performance analysis. FFA has its physics concept developed on the stress-strength interference (SSI) model of fracture mechanics. In this work, the SSI approach (an independency method) was coupled with the functional relations of critical parameters (CPs) approach (a dependency method) with mass flow rate required for cooling mission as the performance factor. The coupled approach is an improvement on the SSI principle as dependency is introduced into it. The approach is essential as dependency consideration of influencing factors of reliability is of critical concern. To demonstrate the approach, natural circulation system of the System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor (SMART) was adopted. The presented approach gave realistic results and in agreement with existing dependency-based reliability methods.

Keywords: Reliability; Thermal-hydraulic passive system; Dependency consideration; Stress-strength interference (SSI) model; Bivariate functional relations; Critical parameters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:reensy:v:188:y:2019:i:c:p:549-560

DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2019.04.009

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