Failure Mode Analysis Decision Tree¶
Specification¶
The full specification below is extracted from Chapter 7: Advanced Hydroponic Systems and Maintenance.
Type: workflow
**sim-id:** failure-mode-analysis<br/>
**Library:** p5.js<br/>
**Status:** Specified
Purpose: Guide students through a structured failure mode analysis for their chosen system type, identifying the most likely failure modes, estimated time-to-crop-loss for each, and the appropriate redundancy or monitoring response.
Bloom Level: Analyze (L4) and Evaluate (L5)
Bloom Verb: Assess — students assess the failure risk profile of a system and recommend mitigations
Layout: Interactive diagram with left panel (system type selector) and main panel (failure mode display)
Left panel: Radio buttons for system type: Kratky | DWC | NFT | Ebb-and-Flow | Aeroponics | Drip
Main panel: For the selected system, shows a failure mode matrix:
- Each row = one failure mode (e.g., "Air pump failure", "Water pump failure", "Timer failure", "Power outage", "Root rot outbreak")
- Columns: Failure Mode | Time to Crop Loss | Detection Method | Recommended Mitigation
- Rows are color-coded by severity: Red = crop death in <4 hours, Orange = 4–24 hours, Yellow = 1–7 days, Green = recoverable if caught
- Clicking any row expands a detail panel with: what causes this failure, early warning signs, step-by-step recovery procedure
Interactivity:
- Selecting a different system type updates all failure mode rows instantly
- Toggle "Show Commercial vs. Hobby": changes the recommended mitigations based on scale
- "Risk Score" button: calculates a total system risk score based on the selected failure modes and displays a bar chart comparing all six system types
- Each failure mode row has a "Mark as Mitigated" checkbox; when checked, the row turns green and the risk score decreases
Responsive: Scales to container; columns compress gracefully on narrow screens