MODELING THE DEGRADATION OF NUCLEAR-COMPONENTS

This paper describes component level reliability models that use infor mation on degradation to predict component reliability, and which have been used to evaluate different maintenance and testing policies. The models are based on continuous time Markov processes, and are a gener alization of reliability models currently used in Probabilistic Risk A ssessment. An explanation of the models, the model parameters, and an example of how these models can be used to evaluate maintenance polici es are discussed.