A cognitive reliability model research for complex digital human-computer interface of industrial system

•A cognitive reliability model for digital human–computer interface is proposed.•The quantitative model is based on Bayesian theory.•The model can be well applied to human reliability analysis. Nowadays, traditional human–machine interface has been converted into digital human–computer interface in most industrial control rooms, then, cognitive process and reliability are also bound to be different from traditional human–machine interface. Aiming at the situation, the authors in this paper propose a cognitive reliability model with influencing factors based on Bayesian network. Taking a nuclear power plant (Npp) as research background, taking simulative experiment as study way, parameter values in cognitive reliability mathematical model are obtained by analyzing much experimental data. The proposed model is reasonable, accurate, sensitive and convergent by analyzing experiment data. Cognitive error probabilities of some tasks regarding a hot transmission system (HTS) leak accident in a Npp are obtained according to the proposed model and simulative experiments. The model provides a simple and feasible approach to analyze cognitive reliability of operating process in digital human–computer interface.