Improved FTA methodology and application to subsea pipeline reliability design.

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Risk Management
• Reliability Analysis

Background:

• Traditional Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) often involves subjective node discovery, complicating quantitative risk assessment.
• Assessing risks during the Useful Life phase of subsea pipeline projects requires robust methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an innovative logic tree, the Failure Expansion Tree (FET), as an improvement over traditional FTA.
• To provide a more comprehensive and objective methodology for risk factor identification and reliability risk assessment.
• To simplify mathematical calculations for quantitative analysis in risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Failure Expansion Tree (FET) as an alternative to Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
• Constructed the FET by adhering to the laws of physics and geometry for a structured analysis.
• Applied the FET methodology to the Useful Life phase of a subsea pipeline engineering project.

Main Results:

• The FET significantly reduces the subjective nature of node discovery inherent in FTA.
• The FET simplifies mathematical calculations required for quantitative risk assessment.
• The FET provides a more structured and objective approach to reliability risk assessment.

Conclusions:

• The Failure Expansion Tree (FET) presents a significant advancement over traditional FTA for risk factor identification and reliability assessment.
• The FET's adherence to physical and geometrical laws ensures a more structured and objective analysis, particularly beneficial for complex engineering projects like subsea pipelines.