Application of the 'lightweight refinement relation to establishing confidence in safety assessment models

Abstract

This paper presents a 'lightweight refinement' relation that enables rational comparison of safety assessment models of a system. The comparison process contributes to establishing confidence in adequacy of the models by identification of apparent inconsistencies that require explicit justification.The paper further demonstrates how the 'machinery' of refinement can be applied to individual models to identify key 'simulation cases' and aid the task of model review.