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GRaphical Interface for reliability Forecasting
Alain Leroy is one of the earliest users of the GRIF software suite, having worked with Jean-Pierre Signoret since the early 1980s.
For this former engineer, who notably worked at Total, GRIF has radically transformed the reliability analysis of industrial systems, offering a more rigorous approach based on proven mathematical methods.
Qualified engineer, Alain Leroy began his career with Doris Engineering before joining Total, then the insurer GAN, and finally founding his own company, Fractal Système. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with Jean-Pierre Signoret, creator of the GRIF suite of industrial system modeling software.
"One of the great advantages
of GRIF is its ability to evolve
with the needs expressed
by industrial designers
and operators"
You discovered GRIF in the early 1980s. What were your first uses?
Alain Leroy: I discovered the GRIF software suite thanks to Jean-Pierre Signoret, with whom I was working in a research group. At the time, he was at ELF Aquitaine and I was at Total, and we were working on developing methods for modeling the reliability of petroleum systems.
I really started using GRIF in the late 80s. At that time, models were not entered graphically, but by describing the model line by line. I mainly used the Petri module to assess the availability of industrial production systems, particularly oil rigs. Although I'm now retired, I'm still interested in operational safety theories! I published a book Production Availability and Reliability, Use in the Oil and Gas Industry, published by ISTE-Wiley in 2018. And I've also published a book in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Signoret: (Reliability Assessment of Safety and Production Systems -Analysis, Modelling, Calculations and Case Studies.) with Springer.
In your opinion, how has GRIF transformed reliability analysis of industrial systems?
A.L.: Before GRIF, reliability characteristics were assessed using tools that were not designed for this purpose. This often led to approximations and compromises. The power of GRIF comes from the implementation of new modeling methods (such as Petri nets), powerful calculation algorithms and the introduction of reliability parameters not previously considered (such as the time spent by a safety system in reliability levels). It has revolutionized the way we make assessments, in particular by enabling us to take into account data such as the number and skills of intervention teams, spare parts stocks and supply times for systems of all sizes.
In your opinion, what are the main advantages of GRIF today?
A.L.: One of the great advantages of GRIF is its ability to evolve with the needs expressed by industrial designers and operators. Initially, we couldn't model certain complex realities, such as variations in equipment capacity, or calculate the quantity of hydrocarbons burned depending on the operating mode. Since 2010, GRIF has integrated these aspects and now offers precise modeling to guide equipment operating strategies. The software suite also stands out for its graphical interface, its models and the precision of its calculations. Given the evolution of GRIF over the years, I have never doubted its ability to take new needs into account. For example, GRIF was recently used to assess the availability of a wind farm, which was not at all foreseen at the outset.