Decision Table Development and Application to the Construction of Fault Trees

Abstract

A systematic methodology for the construction of fault trees based on the use of decision tables has been developed. These tables are used to describe each possible output state of a component as a set of combinations of states of inputs and internal operational or failed states. Two methods for modeling component behavior via decision tables have been developed, one inductive and one deductive. These methods are useful for creating decision tables that realistically model the operational and failure modes of electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic components, as well as human interactions, inhibit conditions, and common-cause events.A computer code CAT (Computer Automated Tree) has been developed to automatically produce fault trees from decision tables. A simple electrical system was chosen to illustrate the basic features of the decision table approach and to provide an example of an actual fault tree produced by this code. This example demonstrates the potential utility of such an automated approach to fault tree construction once a basic set of general decision tables has been developed.

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