Risk Based Technologies

This book presents selected topics in implementing a risk-based approach for complex engineering systems in general, and nuclear plants in particular. It addresses gap areas in implementing the risk-based approach to design, operation and regulation, covering materials reliability, digital system reliability, software reliability, human factor considerations, condition monitoring and prognosis, structural aspects in risk-based design as well as the application aspects like asset management for first-of-their-kind projects, strategic management and other academic aspect. Chapters are authored by renowned experts who address some of the identified challenges in implementation of risk-based approach in a clear and cogent manner, using illustrations, tables and photographs for ease of communication. This book will prove useful to researchers, professionals, and students alike.

Prabhakar V. Varde is as an Associate Director in the Reactor Group and a senior Professor in the Homi Bhabha National Institute at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. He completed his BE (Mech.) from APS University, Rewa and his PhD in Reliability Engineering from IIT Bombay. He started his career as an operations engineer for nuclear research reactors in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, and for over three decades he has been serving at BARC in the area of nuclear reactor operations and safety.  His specializations are probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) and the development of risk-based applications. Prof Varde is the co-chairman of the PSA Committee (Level 2 and External Event) at the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, India, and a postdoctoral research scientist at Korea Atomic Energy Institute, South Korea and a visiting Professor at University of Maryland, Maryland, USA. He has served as an expert in many international forums including the International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna), Nuclear Energy Agency (Paris), etc. He is founder of Society for Reliability and Safety and Chief Editor for the SRESA International Journal of Life Cycle Reliability and Safety Engineering, and has authored over 220 peer-reviewed publications, in addition to serving as the editor for more than 5 conference proceedings, and co-authoring a textbook on Risk-based Engineering with Michael Pecht.

Dr. Raghu Prakash is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) where he specializes in the areas of fatigue, fracture of materials (metals, composites, hybrids), structural integrity assessment, remaining life prediction of critical components used in transportation and energy sectors, apart from new product design. He has developed test systems for use in academia, R&D and industry during his tenure as Technical Director at BiSS Research, Bangalore and at IIT Madras he teaches courses relating to Fracture Mechanics, Design with Advanced Materials, Product Design, DFMA. He is a voting rights member of ASTM International (Technical Committees, D-30, E-08 and E-28) and the vice-Chair of the Technical Committee on Materials Processing and Characterization of ASME. He serves in the editorial boards of multiple journals including the Journal of Structural Longevity, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale (IGF Journal), Journal of Life Cycle Reliability and Safety Engineering, and is a member of several technical societies. He has won several prestigious awards and recognition for his work, including the Binani Gold Medal (Indian Institute of Metals).

Mr. Narendra Joshi completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Govt. College of Engineering, Karad and joined BARC in year 1990, and has worked on the operation and maintenance of research reactors for 13 years- he was involved in the preparation of Probabilistic Risk Assessment of many research reactors, including Dhruva, Cirus, Upgraded Apsara, High Flux Research Reactor and other nuclear facilities. He is the Secretary and founder member of the Society for Reliability & Safety, in addition to serving as the Managing Editor of the International Journal on Life Cycle Reliability and Safety Engineering. He was instrumental in successful organization of International Conference on Reliability, Safety and Hazard (ICRESH) held in 2005 and 2010 at Mumbai and 2015 at Lulea, Sweden. He has over 20 publications to his credit in journals and conferences. Mr. Joshi is currently looking after the activities of Human Resource Development, Simulator Training, Root Cause Analysis of Significant Events in research reactors at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai.