Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Integrated system failure analysis software toolchain (IS-FAST)

Systems and methods are provided for generating faults and analyzing fault propagation and its effects. Starting from the ontologies of components, functions, flows, and faults, systems and methods are provided that describe, generate and track faults in a computer system across multiple domains throughout design and/or development. In order to construct the system and fault models, a series of concepts is introduced in the form of ontologies and their dependencies. An investigation is performed into the faults, including their type, cause, life-cycle aspects, and effect. Principles and rules are created to generate various faults based on system configurations. After the modeling process, a simulation engine is described to execute actions and simulate the process of fault generation and propagation. As a result, fault paths that impact components and functions can be obtained.

Diao, Xiaoxu↗
NASA NTRS1978

Urine monitoring system failure analysis and operational verification test report

Failure analysis and testing of a prototype urine monitoring system (UMS) are reported. System performance was characterized by a regression formula developed from volume measurement test data. When the volume measurement test data. When the volume measurement data was imputted to the formula, the standard error of the estimate calculated using the regression formula was found to be within 1.524% of the mean of the mass of the input. System repeatability was found to be somewhat dependent upon the residual volume of the system and the evaporation of fluid from the separator. The evaporation rate was determined to be approximately 1cc/minute. The residual volume in the UMS was determined by measuring the concentration of LiCl in the flush water. Observed results indicated residual levels in the range of 9-10ml, however, results obtained during the flushing efficiency test indicated a residual level of approximately 20ml. It is recommended that the phase separator pumpout time be extended or the design modified to minimize the residual level.

Glanfield, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Comprehension and retrieval of failure cases in airborne observatories

This paper describes research dealing with the computational problem of analyzing and repairing failures of electronic and mechanical systems of telescopes in NASA's airborne observatories, such as KAO (Kuiper Airborne Observatory) and SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy). The research has resulted in the development of an experimental system that acquires knowledge of failure analysis from input text, and answers questions regarding failure detection and correction. The system's design builds upon previous work on text comprehension and question answering, including: knowledge representation for conceptual analysis of failure descriptions, strategies for mapping natural language into conceptual representations, case-based reasoning strategies for memory organization and indexing, and strategies for memory search and retrieval. These techniques have been combined into a model that accounts for: (a) how to build a knowledge base of system failures and repair procedures from descriptions that appear in telescope-operators' logbooks and FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis) manuals; and (b) how to use that knowledge base to search and retrieve answers to questions about causes and effects of failures, as well as diagnosis and repair procedures. This model has been implemented in FANSYS (Failure ANalysis SYStem), a prototype text comprehension and question answering program for failure analysis.

Alvarado, Sergio J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Empirically based analysis of failures in software systems

An empirical analysis of software-system failures is used to study several specific issues in software testing, reliability analysis, and reuse. Failure data from a large software manufacturer and a NASA production environment were collected and analyzed. The systems ranged in size from 30,000 to over 100,000 lines. The results show that (1) the first 15 percent of the test cases detected 67 percent of the high-severity failures and 50 percent of all failures; (2) multiple fault-detection and testing phases may result in a significant increase in reliability or none at all; (3) composite measures of system reliability did not adequately reflect reliability at the function or component level; (4) developers were biased toward portions of systems that would be heavily tested; (5) fault-proneness of reused or modified components was 74 percent less than that of newly developed components; and (6) systems with more reused software had lower component development effort, but not lower component fault-proneness.

Selby, Richard W.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Learning from Trending, Precursor Analysis, and System Failures

Models of reliability growth relate current system unreliability to currently accumulated experience. But “experience” comes in different forms. Looking back after a major accident, one is sometimes able to identify previous events or measurable performance trends that were, in some sense, signaling the potential for that major accident: potential that could have been recognized and acted upon, but was not recognized until the accident occurred. This could be a previously unrecognized cause of accidents, or underestimation of the likelihood that a recognized potential cause would actually operate. Despite improvements in the state of practice of modeling of risk and reliability, operational experience still has a great deal to teach us, and work has been going on in several industries to try to do a better job of learning from experience before major accidents occur. It is not enough to say that we should review operating experience; there is too much “experience” for such general advice to be considered practical. The paper discusses the following: 1. The challenge of deciding what to focus on in analysis of operating experience. 2. Comparing what different models of learning and reliability growth imply about trending and precursor analysis.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Failure Diagnosis for the Holdup Tank System via ISFA

This paper discusses the use of the integrated system failure analysis (ISFA) technique for fault diagnosis for the holdup tank system. ISFA is a simulation-based, qualitative and integrated approach used to study fault propagation in systems containing both hardware and software subsystems. The holdup tank system consists of a tank containing a fluid whose level is controlled by an inlet valve and an outlet valve. We introduce the component and functional models of the system, quantify the main parameters and simulate possible failure-propagation paths based on the fault propagation approach, ISFA. The results show that most component failures in the holdup tank system can be identified clearly and that ISFA is viable as a technique for fault diagnosis. Since ISFA is a qualitative technique that can be used in the very early stages of system design, this case study provides indications that it can be used early to study design aspects that relate to robustness and fault tolerance.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Fault propagation and effects analysis for designing an online monitoring system for the secondary loop of a nuclear power plant part of a hybrid energy system - 393

This paper studies the propagation and effects of faults of critical components that pertain to the secondary loop of a nuclear power plant found in Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems (NHES). This information is used to design an on-line monitoring (OLM) system which is capable of detecting and forecasting faults that are likely to occur during NHES operation. In this research, the causes, features, and effects of possible faults are investigated by simulating the propagation of faults in the secondary loop. The simulation is accomplished by using the Integrated System Failure Analysis (ISFA). ISFA is used for analyzing hardware and software faults during the conceptual design phase. In this paper, the models of system components required by ISFA are initially constructed. Then, the fault propagation analysis is implemented, which is conducted under the bounds set by acceptance criteria derived from the design of an OLM system. The result of the fault simulation is utilized to build a database for fault detection and diagnosis, provide preventive measures, and propose an optimization plan for the OLM system. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Failure Diagnosis for the Holdup Tank System via ISFA

This paper discusses the use of the integrated system failure analysis (ISFA) technique for fault diagnosis for the holdup tank system. ISFA is a simulation-based, qualitative and integrated approach used to study fault propagation in systems containing both hardware and software subsystems. The holdup tank system consists of a tank containing a fluid whose level is controlled by an inlet valve and an outlet valve. We introduce the component and functional models of the system, quantify the main parameters and simulate possible failure-propagation paths based on the fault propagation approach, ISFA. The results show that most component failures in the holdup tank system can be identified clearly and that ISFA is viable as a technique for fault diagnosis. Since ISFA is a qualitative technique that can be used in the very early stages of system design, this case study provides indications that it can be used early to study design aspects that relate to robustness and fault tolerance. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Preliminary System Interface Failure Mode Analysis for Two Advanced Reactors

This study explores two distinct Balance of Plant (BOP) configurations: the Rankine cycle for a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) and the Brayton cycle for a gas-cooled reactor (GCR). As representative designs, the Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM) by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy was selected for the SFR, while the Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT MHR) by General Atomics was chosen for the gas-cooled reactor. Both configurations were adapted to deliver high-quality heat for industrial applications. A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was conducted for each system to identify critical failure modes affecting key components. This study marks the first phase of a two-step design optimization approach, integrating FMEA into the design process. Based on the analysis, design modifications and mitigation strategies were proposed to enhance system resilience. The second phase, to be detailed in a subsequent report, will focus on the role of the control system in mitigating these failures. The FMEA serves as a foundation for defining the control topology, ensuring system resilience against component failures that could compromise essential functions, such as electricity and heat production.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1982

PKI solar thermal plant evaluation at Capitol Concrete Products, Topeka, Kansas

A system feasibility test to determine the technical and operational feasibility of using a solar collector to provide industrial process heat is discussed. The test is of a solar collector system in an industrial test bed plant at Capitol Concrete Products in Topeka, Kansas, with an experiment control at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque. Plant evaluation will occur during a year-long period of industrial utilization. It will include performance testing, operability testing, and system failure analysis. Performance data will be recorded by a data acquisition system. User, community, and environmental inputs will be recorded in logs, journals, and files. Plant installation, start-up, and evaluation, are anticipated for late November, 1981.

Hauger, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Appendix A: Proposed statement of work, 1994

This NRA effort is devoted to developing new techniques and methodologies which utilize and/or provide support to Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) concepts and techniques, modern design processes, and open architectures to realize an avionics system architecture that relieves the flight control system (FCS) of the requirement of maintaining intimate knowledge and control of the vehicle subsystems (for instance, the reaction control system (RCS)). The benefit of this architecture is that future upgrades and enhancements to the system(s) or to individual components within the system(s) are greatly simplified. This approach also allows a much more straightforward treatment of failure analysis, system diagnosis, and the design of fault containment domains. This NRA effort is also devoted to realizing capabilities to provide an available avionics system (and subsystem(s)) at minimum operational cost. This thrust provides a direct benefit to NASA in that it seeks to accelerate the design cycle to allow state of the art components and designs to actually appear in the fielded system rather than merely in the initial design. To achieve this, this effort is intended to benefit from efforts already underway at Lockheed and other major contractors. For instance, Lockheed Sanders is currently engaged in a major DoD funded development program which has the goal of cutting design cycle time of high performance electronics by a factor of four while simultaneously improving quality also by a factor of four. The early work on this program was used to enable the rapid prototyping of the Reaction Jet Drive Controller which was accomplished in 1993. Similarly, maximum leverage will be derived from recent NASA and DoD efforts to increase the content of high quality commercial grade electronic components in systems for aerospace applications. Both of these goals result in a system with enhanced cost effectiveness, increased reliability, and greatly increased performance compared to a system developed using a more conventional approach.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2017

FAULT PROPAGATION AND EFFECTS ANALYSIS FOR DESIGNING AN ONLINE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE SECONDARY LOOP OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PART OF A HYBRID ENERGY SYSTEM

This paper studies the propagation and effects of faults of critical components that pertain to the secondary loop of a nuclear power plant found in Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems (NHES). This information is used to design an on-line monitoring (OLM) system which is capable of detecting and forecasting faults that are likely to occur during NHES operation. In this research, the causes, features, and effects of possible faults are investigated by simulating the propagation of faults in the secondary loop. The simulation is accomplished by using the Integrated System Failure Analysis (ISFA). ISFA is used for analyzing hardware and software faults during the conceptual design phase. In this paper, the models of system components required by ISFA are initially constructed. Then, the fault propagation analysis is implemented, which is conducted under the bounds set by acceptance criteria derived from the design of an OLM system. The result of the fault simulation is utilized to build a database for fault detection and diagnosis, provide preventive measures, and propose an optimization plan for the OLM system.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1984

Certification of advanced systems

Advanced cockpit systems in helicopters are evaluated in terms of safety certification areas of concern include: (1) power supply system, failure analysis; (2) software control; (3) lightning substantiation; and (4) adequacy of certification regulations.

Swihart, J. D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Controls, astrophysics, and structures experiment in space ground test facility

This paper describes the initial configuration of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Controls/Structures Interaction Advanced Development Facility (CSI ADF), which is a ground test facility (GTF) for the proposed Controls, Astrophysics, and Structures Experiment in Space (CASES). The laboratory has been developed for the purpose of implementing, testing, and evaluating CSI modeling, control system design, failure analysis, and system identification techniques on a representative large space structure. The facility has been configured to represent as closely as possible an actual flight article.

Bukley, Angelia P.↗