New Results in the Field of Esd Research

Abstract

Uncertainty is one of the greatest opponents of the scientists and engineers. Construction and operation of an equipment are usually based on well defined parameters which can be measured with adequate accuracy. Nevertheless, there are several situations, where the physical parameters of a process or a phenomenon are unknown or can not be determined accurately, therefore the correct use of these data is uncertain. Some examples are given, how and where can uncertainty be taken into consideration. In complicated industrial systems the determination of the prospective risk of a failure plays an important role in the design period. The complex relationship between the parts of the whole system makes the determination of the risk extremely uncertain. Furthermore, this complex relationship in case of operator controlled systems hinders operators in decision making. The decision can be assisted by the use of the risk assessment and failure diagnosis.