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Management decisions in complex industrial facilities usually consider both the economic and environmental aspects of the plant's performance . For nuclear power plants (NPPs ) , safety is also a very substantial issue . The objectives of this dissertation are to develop and demonstrate a novel useful conceptual model that could be used to allocate maintenance funds for a nuclear power plant in such a way as to meet all specified safety requirements and objectives , while achieving a high degree of economic performance . The model is based on the general theory that the reliability of a plant at any time is a function of its initial reliability and the maintenance history of the individual plant components (Smith , 1997 ) . Such a model can assist in evaluating strategic management decisions regarding allocation of funds for nuclear power plant maintenance . It could be used as a simulation tool ; various scenarios could be studied to answer "what if" questions . Simulations of this type will allow a better understanding of the relationship between maintenance , economic performance , and safety , and consequently will lead to better decision making . The novelty of this model is tied to the intimate relationship that it develops between maintenance activities at a nuclear plant , and their relationship to prescribed safety requirements and to the economic performance of that plant . |
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