Co-operative functional/hybrid behavioural models for dynamical failure assessment

Abstract

This article introduces the dynamical failure assessment method, which is a new kind of strategy for active failure management for complex physical engineered systems such as nuclear power plants. This method aims at evaluating, in regards to system objectives, residual capabilities of faulty components without trying to get a completely precise model of these components. Then, it anticipates reconfiguration possibilities by proposing solutions including faulty components. Several requirements are put forward in this article in order to perform DFA analysis. This article details consequently a co-operative modelling framework where a functional architecture is interacting with architecture of components architecture composed of several dynamical behaviour models representing dynamical interactions between system components. These dynamical models represent mixed hybrid information (discrete transitions and continuous flows) based on hybrid formalism. A two-tank system connected to a heat exchanger is used as an illustration.