On-line process failure diagnosis: The necessity and a comparative review of the methodologies

Three basic approaches to process failure management are defined and discussed to elucidate the role of diagnosis in the operation of nuclear power plants. The rationale for the necessity of diagnosis is given from various perspectives. A comparative review of some representative diagnostic methodologies is presented and their shortcomings are discussed. Based on the insights from the review, the desirable characteristics from the review, the desirable characteristics of advanced diagnostic methodologies are derived from the viewpoints of failure detection, diagnosis, and correction. 11 refs.