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Reliability Engineering and Quantitative Risk Analysis
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:39
Abstract
This course introduces the fundamentals of reliability and risk analysis, from basic probability concepts to advanced computational techniques, for a variety of industrial application fields. The overall aim is to provide students with a package of methods for systematic and comprehensive system analyses to inform reliability, safety, and resilience.
Objective
At the end of the course, the students will be able to: • Develop risk analysis models for industrial systems (scenarios, undesired events, consequences) • Apply representative tools for quantitative risk analysis (Fault trees and event trees) • Use appropriate measures to understand the contributors (events, components) to system risk • Analyze risk contribution for human factors and incorporate in risk model • Characterize and propagate uncertainties in the risk model parameters - Apply methods to design reliability-, safety-, and resilience-enhancing solutions
Content
Risk definitions and risk/consequence diagrams; Fault trees and event trees; Boolean logic; risk importance measures; component models; reliability data; human reliability analysis; dependent failures and common causes of failure; Bayesian probability theory; uncertainty modeling and propagation; resilience analysis.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- end-of-semester examination
- Mode
- written 120 minutes
- Aids
- None. You are not allowed to bring any notes from the lectures or any written aid.The only allowed tools during the exam are pens, rulers, and basic calculators that do not have PDF reading capabilities. If your calculator has PDF reading capabilities, please notify the examiners. The storage files of the calculator will be examined for any PDF files.
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Reliability Engineering and Quantitative Risk Analysis |
|
2 h weekly |
| exercise | Reliability Engineering and Quantitative Risk Analysis |
|
1 h weekly |
Offered In
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Nuclear Engineering Master (MSc Nuclear Engineering is a joint program of EPF Lausanne and ETH Zurich. The first semester takes place in Lausanne. Students therefore have to enroll at EPFL. For more information about the curriculum and courses see: ?)
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