• Blended Learning & Flipped Classroom

Nuclear and energy equipment and systems require a systematic approach to design and operation, with specified safety and reliability constraints/objectives (safety-based and reliability-based design and operation).

The goal of this course is to provide the students with the adequate competences on methods and computational tools for the evaluation, the analysis and the control of the risk associated to the operation of nuclear and energy equipment and systems. These competences, typical of safety and reliability analysts and managers, are necessary in all modern engineering for the design and operation of safe and reliable systems.

The course is offered in:

• a 10-CFU version for nuclear engineering students named “RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS A+B”. The expected learning outcome and the topics of this version of the course are the union of those of Parts I,II and III in the following sections.
• in a 8-CFU version for energy engineering students named “RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS C”. The expected learning outcome and the topics of this version of the course are the union of those of Parts I and II in the following sections.
• in a 5-CFU version named “RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS B”. The expected learning outcome and the topics of this version of the course are the union of those of parts I and III.
• in a 5-CFU version named “RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS A”. The expected learning outcome and the topics of this version of the course are the union of those of parts II and III.

PART I

The student knows:

• ELO I.1 - the basics of probability theory, system analysis and simulation methods for reliability and availability assessments;
• ELO I.2 - the basics of maintenance engineering.

The student is able to:

• ELO I.3 - estimate reliability and availability indicators of industrial equipment and systems;
• ELO I.4 - develop stochastic simulation methods for estimating system reliability and availability indicators;
• ELO I.5 - apply methods of maintenance engineering to nuclear and energy equipment and systems.

PART II

ELO II.1 - the student understands the concept of risk and the probabilistic framework for its assessment;

ELO II.2 - the student is able to apply the methods and tools for the probabilistic assessment of nuclear and energy equipment and systems;

ELO II.3 - The student knows the methodological tools to treat the uncertainty in the reliability and risk assessments and can make judgments on the confidence in the results obtained, for robust decision-making.

PART III

ELO III.1 – The student understands the specific challenges related to the safety and reliability of nuclear installations of generation III and IV.

PART I

Basics of probability theory for applications to reliability analysis and risk assessment (ELO I.1);

Estimation of reliability parameters from field data (ELO I.3);

Reliability of simple systems: series, parallel, redundancies, standby (ELO I.3);

Reliability and availability of complex systems subject to realistic procedures of inspection, maintenance, repair, renewal (ELO I.3);

Monte Carlo simulation methods for reliability and availability analysis: stochastic simulation framework; random sampling; estimation of reliability and availability of complex systems (flipped - ELO I.4);

Maintenance engineering for nuclear installations and energy systems (ELOs I.2 and I.5).

PART II

Risk: qualitative and quantitative definitions (ELO II.1);

Probabilistic risk assessment framework: identification and quantification of accident sequences (Failure Mode and Criticality Analysis, Hazard Operability Analysis, Fault and Event Tree Analyses, and Bayesian Belief Networks); risk curves and matrices; risk analysis as a tool in support of regulatory licensing and operating requirements (ELOs II.2 and II.3);

Dependent failures (ELO II.2);

Importance measures (ELO II.3).

PART III

Prognostics and health management for condition-based and predictive maintenance of nuclear equipment and systems (ELO III.1);

Seminars on advanced topics (e.g. digitalization of nuclear power plants, integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety assessment, performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories) (ELO III.1);

Case studies taken from the oil & gas, power production and nuclear industries will be illustrated, and quantitative exercise classes will be carried out in support to the comprehension of the material covered in class.

No pre-requisites are required.

Student attending the 8 and 10-CFU versions (RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS A+B or RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS C)

The evaluation consists in an exam consisting in a written and an oral part, and in the development and presentation of a project.

The written exam will evaluate the student abilities in applying the techniques for quantify the reliability and availability and control the risk of nuclear and energy equipment and systems (ELOs I.3 and II.2). This part of the exam will contribute to 40% of the final grade.

The oral exam aims at verifying the student understanding of the risk concept, the probabilistic framework for its assessment, the basics of probability theory and stochastic methods for reliability, availability and risk analysis, dependent failures, importance measures, the maintenance engineering approaches. (ELOs I.1, I.2, II.1 and III.1). Furthermore, it verifies the student ability of making judgments on the confidence in the results obtained, for robust decision-making (ELO II.3).

The oral exam of the students attending the 10 CFU version of the course will also verify their understanding of prognostics and health management methods for condition-based and predictive maintenance of nuclear equipment and systems and the advanced topics discussed in the seminars.

The oral exam will contribute to 40% of the final grade.

The project consists in the development of a stochastic simulation code for the estimation of the reliability and availability of complex systems or for condition-based maintenance of nuclear and energy equipment and systems (ELOs I.4 and I.5). The project will be assigned by the lecturer and developed by a multidisciplinary team formed by a nuclear and an energy engineering student. This part of the exam will contribute to 20% of the final grade.

Students attending the 5 CFU versions of the course will be verified on the corresponding ELOs.

The exam of those attending RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS B consists in a written and an oral part, and in the development and presentation of a project. These three parts of the exam will contribute to 40%, 40% and 20% of the final grade, respectively.

The exam of those students attending RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND RISK ANALYSIS A consists in a written and an oral part. These two parts of the exam will contribute to 50% and 50% of the final grade, respectively.

Part I of the course

Part II of the course

Exercises, useful for preparing the written parts of the exam

For the specific part on Monte Carlo methods, in part I of the course