Method for generating an FTA fault tree from an FMEA table of a technical system or vice versa

An apparatus for generating one or more fault tree analysis (FTA) fault trees from a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) table of a technical system, or generating the FMEA table from the one or more FTA fault trees of the technical system, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store instructions and a common data set for both the FMEA table and the one or more FTA fault trees of the technical system;
• and
• one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
• obtain, by the one or more processors from the memory, the common data set for both the FMEA table and the one or more FTA fault trees of the technical system, wherein the common data set comprises:
• at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of causes associated with the at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of effects associated with the at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of risk mitigation measures associated with the at least one set of failure modes, and
• a set of process steps to be performed by the technical system when in operation, wherein one of the process steps is associated with one of the at least one set of failure modes;
• classify one of the risk mitigation measures as a prevention in the common data set if the one of the risk mitigation measures is able to block a cause before the cause activates an associated failure mode, or as a barrier in the common data set if the one of the risk mitigation measures is able to detect a failure mode before the failure mode generates an associated effect;
• select a representation of the technical system as the FMEA table or as the one or more FTA fault trees;
• if the representation of the technical system is selected as the FMEA table:
• automatically generate, by the one or more processors, the FMEA table by using the common data set and grouping failure modes of the FMEA table according to one or more of the process steps of the technical system when in operation, the one or more of the process steps associated with the grouped failure modes;
• and
• display the FMEA table on a graphical user interface;
• and
• if the representation of the technical system is selected as the one or more FTA fault trees:
• automatically generate, by the one or more processors, the one or more FTA fault trees by using the causes, failure modes, effects, preventions, and barriers of the common data set;
• and
• display the one or more FTA fault trees on the graphical user interface,
• wherein each of the one or more FTA fault trees has one of the effects as a top event and is configured to represent relationships between the causes, the failure modes, the effects, the preventions, and the barriers, the relationships including:
• one of the effects is produced if an associated one of the failure modes generates the one of the effects;
• one of the failure modes generates one or more associated effects if the one of the failure modes occurs, and barriers associated with the one of the failure modes fail to detect the one of the failure modes;
• and
• one of the failure modes occurs if one of associated causes activates the one of the failure modes, and associated preventions fail to prevent the one of the associated causes from activating the one of the failure modes.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations for generating one or more fault tree analysis (FTA) fault trees from a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) table of a technical system, or generating the FMEA table from the one or more FTA fault trees of the technical system, the operations comprising:

• obtaining, by the one or more processors from a memory, a common data set for both the FMEA table and the one or more FTA fault trees of the technical system, wherein the common data set comprises:
• at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of causes associated with the at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of effects associated with the at least one set of failure modes,
• a set of risk mitigation measures associated with the at least one set of failure modes, and
• a set of process steps to be performed by the technical system when in operation, wherein one of the process steps is associated with one of the at least one set of failure modes;
• classifying one of the risk mitigation measures as a prevention in the common data set if the one of the risk mitigation measures is able to block a cause before the cause activates an associated failure mode, or as a barrier in the common data set if the one of the risk mitigation measures is able to detect a failure mode before the failure mode generates an associated effect;
• selecting a representation of the technical system as the FMEA table or as the one or more FTA fault trees;
• if the representation of the technical system is selected as the FMEA table:
• automatically generating, by the one or more processors, the FMEA table by using the common data set and grouping failure modes of the FMEA table according to one or more of the process steps of the technical system when in operation, the one or more of the process steps associated with the grouped failure modes;
• and
• displaying the FMEA table on a graphical user interface;
• and
• if the representation of the technical system is selected as the one or more FTA fault trees:
• automatically generating, by the one or more processors, the one or more FTA fault trees by using the causes, failure modes, effects, preventions, and barriers of the common data set;
• and
• displaying the one or more FTA fault trees on the graphical user interface,
• wherein each of the one or more FTA fault trees has one of the effects as a top event and is configured to represent relationships between the causes, the failure modes, the effects, the preventions, and the barriers, the relationships including:
• one of the effects is produced if an associated one of the failure modes generates the one of the effects;
• one of the failure modes generates one or more associated effects if the one of the failure modes occurs, and barriers associated with the one of the failure modes fail to detect the one of the failure modes;
• and
• one of the failure modes occurs if one of associated causes activates the one of the failure modes, and associated preventions fail to prevent the one of the associated causes from activating the one of the failure modes.