This project topic is proposed with Professor Mary Ann Lundteigen as main supervisor for fall 2015. I will use this wiki page in relation to the project execution, meaning that more details related to tasks to be carried out may be published here.
About the project
This project assignment is based on the theory and methods you learnt in TPK 4120 Safety and Reliability Analysis and what you will learn in TPK5170 – RAMS assessment and optimization in the coming autumn. The intention is that several students may choose this assignment, supervision will be given jointly half of the semester then individually, and each student must submit individual project reports.
The main focus of the project is on systems reliability assessment. Such assessments are carried out to demonstrate that a technological system is sufficiently reliable and safe, but the results are subject to many sources of uncertainty:
- Technology is becoming more complex, with more interdependencies between functions and between physical components. One single event may have effects that are difficult to foresee and therefore to model.
- Data is sparse for new technology elements
- Many different reliability assessment methods are available, but which one to choose?
The objective of this project is to give the students a deeper insight into what are framing reliability assessments, how the assessments may be carried out, and the application of the results in decision-making, considering the uncertainty level.
The main application is on safety-critical systems, where reliability assessments are framed under standards like IEC 61508 standard (different sectors may have different versions of the standard). More specifically, the student may focus on one of the following study cases, with basis in strategic research activities in the RAMS group:
Safety and reliability assessment of safety-critical subsea systems
Subsea systems are subject to a number of challenging requirements and constraints from being placed under water, far away, and possibly in very sensitive environments. The main objective of this specialization project is to investigate the reliability challenges in more detail of selected subsea systems (e.g., blow out preventer (BOP), high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS), XT), and to identify suitable methods for use in risk assessments and reliability assessments. New design philosophies, like e.g., all electric or integration of control and safety functions may be investigated using available literature including patents.
The Reliability of subsea systems is of strategic interest to the RAMS group, as we are involved in the recently established Centre for Subsea Production and Processing SUBPRO (www.ntnu.edu/subpro). The centre has an extensive industry involvement, and with a project in this area, we expect good opportunities for continuing with a master project in collaboration with a company.
Management of RAMS in design of critical infrastructures, with focus on new strait crossing bridges
The new ferry free E-39 being planned along the coast from Trondheim to Kristiansand will face a number of challenges related to demanding crossing conditions (water depth, length, other traffic at sea, sea current, rough weather, and so on). The RAMS group has established a collaboration with the Road Administration (Statens Vegvesen) for developing a RAMS framework for use in the Ferry-free E-39 project. The framework shall identify how key RAMS requirements are to be established and managed in all life cycle phases. The purpose of this specialization project is to study methods, requirements, and frameworks of relevance to write a master project that will contribute to the completion of this RAMS framework. One starting point for the specialization project is therefore to study literature on the treatment of RAMS requirements in more mature application areas, such as for tunnel construction and railway (EN 50126 standard). Another path is to study technology qualification frameworks to see how they can aligned in the evaluation of new bridge /tunnel concepts. One of the strait crossings defined as pilot projects may be studied in more detail. There are very good opportunities to continue the work into a master project with supervision from the Road Administration, or with a consultancy company that carry out studies in this area. It may be remarked that some of the literature of relevance to this topic will be in Norwegian.
The supervision will be joint in the start of the semester, and individual as needed later in the semester. Each student must submit individual project reports on the topics agreed.