TABLE OF CONTENTS A number of analysis techniques are available that can be used to identify possible fire scenarios; some of these techniques are described in the following sections.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is used to study systematically possible failure modes of individual components and the results of each failure, either on the system in general or on other components of the system. [4], [5] FMEA originated in the aerospace industry and is used extensively in nuclear applications. However, the technique can also be generalized to assist in the development of possible fire scenarios in a variety of design applications.
A typical FMEA analysis first identifies the items to be studied. Next, the failure modes for each item are listed. A typical list of failure modes might include spark/arc, overheat, leak, rupture, loss of electrical power, or improper control signal input.
For each failure mode, a cause of the failure is then determined. For example, rupture might be caused by overpressurization, physical damage, or poor workmanship. The analysis then continues to identify the possible effects of each failure. The effects of a rupture obviously depend on what is released. If the material released is a combustible or flammable liquid, the effects might vary depending on a number of factors. For example, in the absence of an ignition source, the release might be only a pollution or cleanup problem; however, if a competent ignition source...
