Modeling the vulnerability of an industrial system: An ideal system of a simplified reactor vessel

• We present a conceptual model for vulnerability analysis of an industrial system.
• We model the vulnerability of an ideal system of a simplified reactor vessel.
• We propose strategies to reduce the vulnerability of an industrial system.
• Vulnerability modeling is valuable for vulnerability reduction strategy selection.

Reducing the vulnerability of industrial systems is essential in risk mitigation, as well as in decreasing and preventing public health and environmental damage caused by industrial accidents. This paper presents a conceptual model to describe the vulnerability of an industrial system and to explore the mechanisms that facilitate or constrain an industrial system to be vulnerable. The system of a simplified reactor vessel is considered. Then the study models the vulnerability of the system under certain scenarios to measure the effects of management, technology, and physicochemical characteristics based on a vulnerability quantitative method. Strategies to reduce the vulnerability of industrial systems are proposed based on the suggestions of the conceptual model and the modeling process. The effectiveness of these strategies is also discussed. The strategies of raising the technology level and enhancing the physicochemical performance of an industrial system appear more effective than the strategy of promoting the management level, as indicated by the modeling results. The study could contribute insights into vulnerability-reducing interventions that building vulnerability quantification model of the concerned industrial system and modeling the vulnerability of the system with corresponding parameters would provide valuable information on effective strategy selection.