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Questions & Answers
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Questions and Answers - Installation:
| Q: |
I get an error message saying that there is
something wrong with my Sentinel Key. |
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| A: |
Before
you contact support, please consider the following:
RiskSpectrum is protected using Sentinel keys. The Sentinel keys
requires installation of drivers. The drivers are installed when you
install RiskSpectrum. You can download drivers
here.
Laptops:
The parallel port on Laptops sometimes needs to be activated in order
to recognise the Sentinel Key. You activate the port by using
the Bios Setup on your computer.
Also, make sure to
install RiskSpectrum FT or PSA Professional or update drivers when
your laptop is un-docked. Otherwise RiskSpectrum will not find the
key when you are undocked.
The parallel port on Laptops sometimes needs to be activated in
order to recognise the Sentinel Key. You activate the port by using
the Bios Setup on your computer.
Make sure to consult your user manual for your computer before you make
any changes to the Bios setup.
You should set it so that the port is activated at all times. Auto
detection or similar is not sufficient e.g. it is not recommended to
allow the operating system to choose when to activate the port.
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Questions and Answers - Project management:
| Q: |
Where can I find failure data for my project? |
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| A: |
- The T-book (Nordic Nuclear Power Plants). Please contact
svenne.skagerman@swedpower.vattenfall.se
- Spanish database for reliability data collection and Maintenance Rule implementation
(BDATA)
- Offshore Reliability Data (OREDA),
http://www.dnv.com/technologyservices/handbooks/index.asp
- Guidelines for
Process Equipment Reliability Data, Centre for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- Reliability Data,
Centralized Data Base (ZEDB), Germany
- IEEE Guide To The
Collection And Presentation Of Electrical, Electronic, Sensing
Component, And Mechanical Equipment Reliability Data For Nuclear
Power Generating Stations, Published by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
- OECD on its behalf
is setting up a database relative to the failure of digital I&C
namely Computer-Based Systems Database (COMPSIS)
- Common-Cause Failure
Database and Analysis System developed by USNRC and INEEL
(NUREG/CR-6268)
- International Common
Cause Data Exchange (ICDE) by SKI, USNRC and OECD
- NUREG/CR-5497
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| Q: |
I canīt open projects copied from a CD onto my
hard disk. |
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| A: |
Remove
the read-only attribute from the project file. All files that are
copied from a CD are marked as read-only. To be able to work with the
project, the RiskSpectrum program must be able to write to the project
file. Since it can not open the file in write mode, it fails. |
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| Q: |
Why do the project files take up so much disk
space? |
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| A: |
By
default, the program will calculate and save up to 100 000 MCS for a
single MCS analysis. If you are not interested in saving such large
MCS lists you can decrease the number of MCS to be saved. This is done
in the MCS analysis specification. The size of your result files will
decrease accordingly after you re-run your analyses. |
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| Q: |
Can I use long file names for RiskSpectrum
projects? |
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| A: |
Since
RiskSpectrum is a 16-bit application, it can not recognise long file
names. You should also avoid using long directory names for
directories where RiskSpectrum projects are located. |
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| Q: |
Can I use extended characters (e.g.. # & %) or spaces in the name of a RiskSpectrum project? |
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| A: |
We
recommend only using characters A - Z, digits or underscore character
('_') in the name of a RiskSpectrum project. |
| Q: |
Why can I not undo changes? |
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| A: |
Editing
Tables:
As you type changes in a record in a table you will see a small "pen"
in the far-left column. As long as the "pen" is displayed you can undo
the changes you have made by pressing the esc-button. Once you have
moved the cursor away from the field you are editing, the pen
disappears and the changes have been stored into the project file. At
this point you are not able to undo the change.
Editing in Dialogs:
Any changes you make to list boxes are stored directly in the project
file and can not be cancelled.
Editing of fault- and event tree:
All changes you make in fault trees or event trees graphical structure
are saved when you close the window.
Work-around: In the
options dialog on the Tools- menu you can select to "Make backup on
Open" and "Confirm on Exit". This means that the program will make a
backup copy of the project you open and prompt you to confirm to save
your changes when you close it. If you press the "No" button all the
changes you have made to the project since you opened it are
discarded. |
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| Q: |
How can I make use of Drag-and-Drop features when
editing fault- and event trees? |
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| A: |
The
Record list-Window (activated, for example, by pressing Shift-F2 keys)
shows a list of basic events, transfer gates or house events when
editing fault trees and initiating events or function events when
editing event trees.
From the Record list-Window you can drag-and-drop elements into your
fault- or event tree.
For example, you can insert a basic event into a fault tree by opening
a fault tree and the Record list-Window, choose a basic event and drag
it onto a gate. When you drop it, it will be added as an input to the
gate. You also have the possibility to filter the list in the Record
list-Window. |
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| Q: |
What rules are applied when using function event
alternatives? |
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| A: |
If no
function event alternative is specified in a branch point in a sequence, the "success" of the first alternative (input No. 1) will be
used for the top-most sequence and the "failure" of the same
alternative will be used for calculating sequences of "failing"
branches.
If no function event alternative is specified for the top-most
sequence in a branch-point, it will be treated as the successful
branch for which complemented logic will be used. This means that the
program will calculate the top-most sequence as the complementary
event of all the function event alternatives used in the "failing"
branches).
If you do define a function event alternative for the top-most
sequence in a branch-point, it will be treated as "failed", unless
there is only one "failing" branch and it "uses" the same function
event alternative. |
| Q: |
Why does the results differ between a
consequence analysis case and a MCS analysis case? |
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| A: |
| There are two reasons for this:
1. The MCS analysis case uses the demodularised
cutset-list to calculate the top result. When running a
consequence analysis case, all calculations are made using a
modularised cutset-list.
2. Events with a failure probability of 1 may also cause
differences in the results. An enhanced treatment of Q=1
events has been introduced for the normal analysis case
(e.g. consequence analysis case). In the process of the
calculation of the top event, basic events with a failure
probability of 1,0 are temporarily set to TRUE and the
cutset list is minimised before the program calculates the
top event. When the top result has been calculated the Q=1
events are restored and saved in the MCS lists. The MCS
analysis case operation will be based on the MCS list where
Q=1 events are included and that is why the results may
differ. We will investigate the possibility of using the
enhanced treatment of Q=1 events also for the MCS analysis
case. |
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| Q: |
Why do I get a warning during MCS analysis
saying that I have inconsistent CCF groups defined in the project? |
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| A: |
If you
define more CCF parameters than it is necessary for a CCF group, the
program will warn you.
For example, if you define all three alpha factors for a CCF group of
only two basic events (definition of only one alpha factor - alpha2 -
is sufficient in this case) you will be given a warning saying that
the CCF group has more CCF parameters than necessary.
It is not an error and it does not affect the correctness of the MCS
results. |
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| Q: |
What is a MCS analysis case? |
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| A: |
A MCS
analysis case is used to merge (using logical OR operation) MCS lists
produced for analysis cases.
For example, you can merge MCS lists produced for different sequence
analysis cases. The MCS lists are minimised during the merge (all
duplicate and non-minimal MCS are be removed). |
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| Q: |
How do I use a MCS analysis case? |
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| A: |
a MCS
analysis case is used for merging MCS lists. In addition, you can
perform actions on the resulting MCS list after the merge (so called
post-processing of MCS list).
For example, you can change cutsets by adding or removing events or
remove some cutsets from the list. The post-processing actions are
defined in the MCS post-processing specification. |
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| Q: |
How do I create a MCS post-processing
specification? |
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| A: |
In the
MCS post-processing specification you can define what actions should
be taken by the program to modify MCSs after the merging of MCS
analysis cases.
An action consists of one Type field, where you specify the action
type, and five fields, where you can define filter masks. You can
insert or delete basic events in MCS or the MCS itself. You can
control the scope of the rules by setting a filter for MCS.
If you create the action type: "Include rule" and the filter mask:
"*", all defined actions will be applied to the whole MCS list. You
can limit the scope by setting the filter mask for the "Include rule"
action to some other value.
For example, if you specify the filter mask, "A*" the rules will be
applied on MCS containing at least one event with ID starting with the
letter A). If you specify more than one ID filter, the actions are
applied on MCS matching all filters, only.
You can prevent actions to be applied on MCS by creating an action
with an "Exclude rule" action type. Such actions are defined in the
same manner as "Include rule" actions. |
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