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SIL Verification Calculator

PFDavg & Safety Integrity Level Verification

SIL Verification (PFDavg) Calculator
Verify the Safety Integrity Level of a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) by calculating PFDavg for sensor, logic solver, and final element subsystems. Supports 1oo1, 1oo2, 2oo3, and 1oo2D voting architectures with common cause failure analysis per IEC 61508, IEC 61511, and ISA 84.00.01.

SIF Configuration

years

Should not exceed useful life of equipment (typically 10-20 years)

Sensor Subsystem

/hr
/hr
/hr
%
months
hours

Logic Solver Subsystem

/hr
/hr
/hr
%
months
hours

Final Element Subsystem

/hr
/hr
/hr
%
months
hours

Understanding SIL Verification

What is SIL Verification?
SIL verification confirms that a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) design achieves the required Safety Integrity Level by calculating PFDavg based on component failure rates, redundancy architecture, proof test intervals, and common cause failures.
SIL Levels (Low Demand):
SIL 1: PFDavg 0.01 - 0.1 (RRF 10-100)
SIL 2: PFDavg 0.001 - 0.01 (RRF 100-1,000)
SIL 3: PFDavg 0.0001 - 0.001 (RRF 1,000-10,000)
SIL 4: PFDavg 0.00001 - 0.0001 (RRF 10,000-100,000)
Key Standards:
IEC 61508 (generic functional safety), IEC 61511 (process industry SIS), ISA 84.00.01 (US adoption of IEC 61511), ISA TR84.00.02 (SIL verification technical report).

Formula

PFDavgSIF = PFDavgS + PFDavgL + PFDavgFE
1oo1: PFDavg = λDU × TI / 2
1oo2: PFDavg = (λDU×TI)²/3 + β×λDU×TI/2
2oo3: PFDavg = (λDU×TI)² + β×λDU×TI/2
RRF = 1 / PFDavg

Standards & References

  • IEC 61508
    Functional Safety of E/E/PE Safety-Related Systems
  • IEC 61511
    Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry
  • ISA 84.00.01
    Application of Safety Instrumented Systems (US adoption)
  • ISA TR84.00.02
    Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Evaluation Techniques

Engineering Notes

  • Low demand: Process demand rate < 1/yr or < 2× proof test frequency
  • Common cause: Sensor β = 5%, logic β = 2%, final element β = 10% are typical defaults
  • Proof test coverage: Assumes 100% test coverage. Partial proof testing reduces effective TI
  • SIL 4: Rarely used in process industries; typically reserved for nuclear or aviation
  • Architectural constraints: Must be satisfied in addition to PFDavg target
  • Final elements: Often dominate PFDavg; consider redundancy or shorter test intervals

Quick Reference — Typical λDU Values

  • Pressure transmitter: 3-5 × 10&sup7; /hr
  • Temperature transmitter: 5-8 × 10&sup7; /hr
  • Safety PLC (certified): 5 × 10&sup8; - 1 × 10&sup6; /hr
  • Solenoid valve: 5 × 10&sup7; - 2 × 10&sup6; /hr
  • Block valve + actuator: 2-5 × 10&sup6; /hr