Semi-Markov process for reliability assessment with application to the pump system of a power plant
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Tsai, Ping-Hsien
Abstract
‘Safety’ and ‘reliability’ have long been important issues related to nuclear power plants. In the past, several researchers have applied Markov process to assess the reliability of nuclear power plants or their components, but often restricted to cases of constant failure rate. Many of them did not take real practices into consideration either. In the present thesis, a Semi-Markov process is proposed to study the reliability of nuclear power plant components. The real data taken from the maintenance record of a few water pumps in a nuclear power plant are used as demonstrative examples. Other safety related issues of pumps such as ‘preventive maintenance scheduling’ and ‘life extension problem’ are also studied by employing risk management tools such as ‘life cycle cost’ and ‘analytical hierarchy process’ in the analyses. It is found that availability of the studied pumps declines dramatically in a transient manner in their earlier usages, and tends to be steady-state in some time. It is also found that the implement of preventive maintenance is necessary. And an optimal periodic maintenance time-cycle is obtained. With regard to the life extension of pumps, it is suggested that some pumps should be replaced rather than maintained continuously after a certain time of usage in order to improve the overall system performance.
Subjects
reliability
risk management
Semi-Markov process
preventive maintenance
Type
thesis
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