KB3: computer program for automatic generation of fault trees

KB3, formerly named EXPRESS, is a knowledge based-workbench that assists in building reliability models. At EDF, KB3 is used for the safety studies of nuclear power plants. It is founded on knowledge bases describing generic classes of components, with their behaviour and failure modes. This description results of a generic functional analysis (FA) and a failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) of the systems and is written in a dedicated language, called FIGARO, developed at EDF. Using these classes of components, the user can describe the studied system in a graphical system editor and generate fault trees for different missions of the system. He can also add specific knowledge about the system. Thus, he can be released from the limits of the generic knowledge base. KB3 may be linked with different codes for the quantification of the generated fault trees.