An Efficient Computational Technique for Evaluating the Cut/Tie Sets and Common-Cause Failures of Complex Systems

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Abstract
The paper describes a new and efficient approach to the cut/tie set and common-cause failure analysis for use with event tree or similar methodologies. The computational techniques have been developed for use by engineers during the design stage of a system, and computing efficiency is emphasized. The storage rquired for the cut/tie set analysis is the absolute minimum, i.e., only one path need be known and stored at a time. The storage required for the common-cause failure analysis is minimised by storing only the numbers relating components to special conditions. The techniques are applied to a typical reactor subsystem. This example demonstrates how the input information is transformed by the techniques into the required output information.