scope:

Introduction

This guide was prepared to provide the designers and operators of nuclear power plant safety systems and the concerned regulatory groups with the essential methods and procedures of reliability engineering that are applicable to such systems. By applying the principles given, systems may be analyzed, results may be compared with reliability objectives, and the basis for decisions may be suitably documented.

The quantitative principles are applicable to the analysis of the effects of component failures on safety system reliability. The principles are applicable during any phase of the systemÕs lifetime. They have their greatest value during the design phase. During this phase, reliability engineering can make the greatest contribution toward enhancing safety.

These principles may also be applied during the preoperational phase or at any time during the normal lifetime of a system. When the principles are applied during either of these two phases, they will aid in the evaluation of systems, in the preparation or revision of operating or maintenance procedures, and in improving test programs. Although not inherently limited, these principles are intended for application to systems covered in the scope of ANSI/IEEE Std 603-1980 [5] ¹