Introduction to Reliability

Engineering

What is Reliability?
y
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Reliability is defined as:

“the probability that an item can perform

its intended function without failure for
a specified interval under stated
conditions”.
conditions
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
F il
Failure

is "the inability of a system or

p
component to perform
p its required
q
functions within specified performance
q
requirements”
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
F il
Failure rate
t

is the ratio of the number of failures

p to the cumulative
within a sample
operating time
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
C
Causes off failure
f il
• DEFICIENCIES IN DESIGN
• DIFICIENCIES IN MATERIAL
• DEFICIENCIES IN PROCESSING
• ERRORS IN ASSEMBLY
• IMPROPER SERVICE CONDITIONS
• INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE
• VARIATIONS IN OPERATING & MAINTENANCE
CONDITIONS
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering

To ensure a successful reliability

program one must be able to model
and predict the reliability of components
and systems to avoid failure.
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Predictions are based on data collection
g
through:

- Internal testing and Field Data

- User of the product or equipment

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Internal testing and Field Data
Some of these include but is not restricted to
- Research Test

- Environmental Test

- Test
T t on ffailed
il d or malfunctioned
lf ti d items
it

- Acceptance Test etc

etc.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Internal testing:

- done to determine times to failure

of components
- this is important in determining design
flaws and defects.
defects
- data then used to improve the reliability and
by extension performance of items and
equipment.
i t

Thiss information
o at o iss a
also
so used to de
develop
e op reliability
e ab ty
management program to avoid component failure by
instituting maintenance activities when required.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Field Data:
Data:

Identified by

- Customer complaints
p

- Returns for items on warranty

- Local Agent information

- Company field agents

 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Reliability Models
Analysis done using block diagrams.
Can take the form of
- Component Block Diagrams for a System or
- Functional Block Diagrams

The latter being the preferred since it is used to better

understand the operation of Systems and their various
functionality to be able to predict reliability. There are
basically two models:
- Series models
- Parallel models
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Series Model:
Model:
Since reliability is the probability that a device will
perform
f it
its iintended
t d d function
f ti ffor ti
time ‘t’ th
then
mathematically it can be written as:

Reliabilitysystem (t) = R(t)

Therefore if a system has two or more components in
series then the reliability of the system is the product
of the probability of each component functioning, i.e.
n
R system = R1 (t) x R 2 (t) x ...........R n (t) = ∏ R i (t)
i=1
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Series Model:
Model:

In this model all the individual systems must perform

their function for the entire system to perform its
intended function, i.e. failure in one affects the entire
system.
t
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example of Series Model:

A generator in a Power Station.

If one of the systems fail then the entire system

fails to perform its function, i.e. to deliver power
to the grid.
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example:
For the system
y shown before the reliabilityy of the
Boiler, Steam Turbine and Generator is 0.9, 0.999
and 0.95 respectively for 2000 hours operation.

(a) Calculate the reliability of the system.

(b) Which of the components are most likely to fail

first during the time period specified?
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Solution:

Rsyst (t) = RBoiler(t) x RSteam Turbine(t) x RGen(t)

if t = 2000

Then

Rsyst (2000) = 0
0.9
9x0
0.999
999 x 0
0.95
95 =0.854
0 854
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
If the failure of the components in a series system is
modeled by an exponential function with failure rate ‘λ‘λi’
where

i = 1 to n

then the product of their individual reliability would result

in a total failure being equal to the sum of the individual
failure rates.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
i.e. if -
Rsystem(t) = R1(t) x R2(t) x ….. Rn(t)

Then

Rsystem(t) = e-λ1(t) x e-λ2(t) x……..

x……..eeλn(t)

And

λsystem(t) = λ1(t) + λ2(t) + λ3(t) + …………

…………λλn(t)
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example:
The failure rate of three systems in series are 0
0.0002
0002
failures/hr, 0.00001 failures/hr and 0.0001 failures/hr.

What is the reliability of the system for 75 hours of

operation if each system failure is modeled by an
exponential
p function?
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Solution:
Since the failure rates are additive i.e.

Σ λi = λ1 + λ2 + λ3

⇒ Σ λi = 0.0002
0 0002 + 0.00001
0 00001 + 0.0001
0 0001

⇒ Σ λi = 0.00031 failures/hour

Hence Σ λi (t) = (0.00031)(75) = 0.02325

Therefore
R(75) = e-0.02325 = 0.977
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Parallel Models:
Models:
- referred to as redundant systems

Required when

- reliability of individual item is insufficient

- or when reliability is too low

Tradeoffs are size, complexity and cost.

 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Parallel Models:
Models:
Can either be

- Active
ct e pa
parallel
a e syste
systemss

or

- Stand
Stand--by parallel systems
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Active Parallel Systems
- when two or more units are p
placed in parallel
p
and are active the system is known as an
Active Parallel System/Hot standby
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
If two systems ‘A’ and ‘B’ are connected in parallel
(as shown above) and they are both active then the
entire system will be operative as follows:

- if both systems ‘A’ and ‘B’ operating

- if system ‘A’ is operating and ‘B’ failed

- if system
t ‘B’ iis operating
ti and
d ‘A’ failed
f il d

What will happen if both ‘A’ and ‘B’ fail?

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
For this model the reliability is determined by the above
conditions, that is, the probability that the entire system
will
ill remain
i functional
f ti l as long
l as either
ith ‘A’ or ‘B’ remains
i
functional or both ‘A’ and ‘B’ are functional.

This is conditional probability and the reliability is given

by;

Rsystem = RA + RB - RA RB
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example:

The reliability of two boiler feed pumps

‘A’ and ‘B’ in a p
power station is 0.95 and
0.90 respectively.

What is the reliability of this system?

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Solution:
Since

Rsystem = RA + RB - RA RB

Then

Rsystem = 0.95 + 0.90 – (0.95)(0.9)

= 0.995
0 995
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
If the reliability of both systems are equal then the
entire system reliability would be;

Rsystem = 2R – R2

Hence, for the system above if the reliabilities are

equal to 0.95 then what is the entire system
reliability?
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
For parallel system the use of “Unreliability” has been
found to be quite easier in determining the reliability.
Unreliability is given by;

U n ( t) = 1 - R n (t)

And in general reliability is given by

n
R system = 1 - ∏ U i
i =1
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example:
In the figure below there are five items in parallel and
only
l one item
it needs
d to
t function
f ti ffor ththe system
t tto
function.

If all the items have a reliability of 0.90, what is the

system reliability?
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Solution--
Solution
For the system to fail all items must fail
fail.

If the reliability of each item is 0.90 then the unreliability

would be 0.10 and the system can be redrawn as below.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Solution:
From the figure

P(system failure) = (0.10)5 = 0.00001

Therefore,
Therefore

R(system) = 1 – P(system failure)

= 1 – 0.00001 = 0.99999

Note: this is applicable even if the reliabilities are unequal.

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Parallel/Series Systems
In reality;

- an entire system can comprise a combination

of series and parallel systems and

- these systems can be analyzed and solved by

reducing all parallel systems to a single value,
then solving as a series system.
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Parallel/Series Systems
Example:
Calculate the reliability of the computer system shown
below given the data on the next slide.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Component Failure Rate Reliability(1000Hrs)
A. DVD Drive 0.000039 0.962

B. Hard Drive 0.000034 0.967

C. CPU 0.000004 0.996

D.
D Keyboard 0.00001
0 00001 0 990
0.990

E. Monitor 0.00001 0.990

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
P ll l/S i Systems
Parallel/Series S t
Solution:
RDVD Drives = 1 – (1 - 0.962)(1 - 0.962)

RDVD Drives = 1 – 0.0014

0 0014 = 0.9986
0 9986
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Parallel/Series Systems
Solution:

The
e reliability
e ab ty o of tthe
e co
computer
pute at 1000
000 hours
ou s iss tthen
e

R = (0.9986)(0.967)(0.996)(0.990)2

or

R = 0.9426
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
A ti Redundancy
Active R d d Systems
S t
- ‘m’ of ‘n’ must be functional for the system to
continue performing its intended function.
function

- the reliability is then determined by using

‘Binomial’ expansion method given in the
equation below.

⎡ n! (n − k ) ⎤
( ) (1 − e )
n

∑ - λt - λt
k
⎢ k!(n - k )! e ⎥
k =m ⎣ ⎦
 Introduction to Reliability
E i
Engineering
i
Active Redundancyy Systems
y
Exercise:
A system having five synchronous computers analyses all other systems
and compare the results among each other. For the entire system to
function, four out of five computers must agree on the system parameters.
If one computer fails and four agree, the fifth computer is ignored and the
entire system will still function
function. If two computers fail to agree
agree, the entire
system does not function.

(a) Develop the equation that defines the reliability of this

system.

(b) The reliability (an exponential function) of each computer is

0.998. What is the probability that the entire system will
function? (Hint – calculate the failure rate at t = 1)
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Standby Parallel Systems

In this case there is parallel redundancy and both systems

are not active but one is in standby mode waiting to be
switched ‘on’ onlyy when required.
q

Example : backup or standby generator

Assumption – that the other unit has the capacity as the

first.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Standby Parallel Systems
There can be standby redundancy as follows:

- Equal failure rates and perfect switching

- U
Unequal
l failure
f il rate
t and
d perfect
f t switching
it hi

- Equal failure rate and imperfect switching

- Unequal failure rate and imperfect switching

- Shared load parallel systems

 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Equal
E l failure
f il rates
t and
d perfect
f t switching
it hi

- most simplistic of cases

- switch assumed to have a reliability of ‘1’

1

The reliabilityy of a p
parallel system,
y , with one unit in standbyy
having perfect switching is:

Reliability R(t) = e-λt (1 + λt)

 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Equal
E l failure
f il rates
t and
d perfect
f t switching
it hi

In general for ‘n’ units in standby with equal failure rates and
perfect switching is considered the reliability can be calculated
using:
g

( λt )
i
n
Reliability R(t) = e −λt
∑
i =0 i!
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Unequal failure rates and perfect switching

More realistic case

- systems will not have identical failure rates.

- hence for two systems with unequal failure rates λ1

(primary system) and λ2 (backup system with perfect
sswitching)
tc g) tthe
e reliability
e ab ty iss dete
determined
ed us
using:
g

λ1
( )=e
Reliability R(t) − λ1t
+
λ2 − λ1
(e − λ1t
- e − λ2 t )
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Equal failure rates and imperfect switching

- switch does not have a reliability of ‘1’

If the failure rates of both primary and backup systems but

switch is not perfect then:

( ) = e-λt ((1 + R(sw)λt))

Reliabilityy R(t)

Where R(sw) = Reliability of the switch

 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Unequal failure rates and imperfect switching

- Most common form of standby redundancy.

- hence for two systems with unequal failure rates λ1

(primary system) and λ2 (backup system with imperfect
switching) the reliability is determined using:

⎛ λ1 ⎞ −λ1t −λ2t
Reliability R(t) = e −λ1t
+ R (sw ) ⎜⎜ ( ⎟⎟ e - e )
⎝ λ2 − λ1 ⎠
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Shared load parallel systems
- is an active parallel system with both items are active during
operation

- failure of one item results in the other surviving item carrying the
entire load

- as a result the failure rate is increased from the shared load

failure rate

The reliability for shared load system is:

⎛ 2λ1 ⎞ −λ2 t − 2 λ1t

Reliability R(t) = e − 2 λ1t
+ ⎜⎜ ( ⎟⎟ e - e )
⎝ 2λ1 − λ2 ⎠
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Sh d load
Shared l d parallel
ll l systems
t

Where

λ1 = failure rate of each item when both are functioning

λ2 = failure rate of surviving item when one item has failed

And

2λ1 ≠ λ2
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Reliability Parameters
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

- is a basic measure of reliability for repairable

items.

- is a commonly-used variable in reliability and

maintainability analysis.

- is the ratio of the cumulative operating time to the

number of failures for an item.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
For constant failure rate systems, the MTBF can be calculated
as the inverse of the failure rate . Constant failure rate region is
shown on the bathtub curve below.
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Hazard Rate [h(t)]

- is the instantaneous probability of failure of

an item given that it has survived until that
time.
time

- also called the instantaneous failure rate.

Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example of MTBF calculation:
If a component has
h a failure
f il rate off 2 failures
f il per million
illi
hours, calculate the MTBF.

S l i
Solution:

Since MTBF = 1/λ

=1/ (2 failures) /(1,000,000 hours)

= (1,000,000 hours) / (2 failures)
= 500,000 hours
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
M
Mean Time
Ti To
T Failure
F il (MTTF)
- is a basic measure of reliability for non-
repairable systems.
systems
- it is the mean time expected until the first
failure of a ppiece of equipment.
q p
- is a statistical value and is meant to be the mean
over a long period of time and large number of
units.
it
- for constant failure rate systems, MTTF is the
inverse of the failure rate.
rate
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
MTTF may be calculated from the results of life testing as
follows:
Let a set of ‘N’ items be tested until all have failed . The times
to failure being t1, t2, t3 …. ti ,……..tn .
The observed MTTF is given by

⎛ i=n ⎞
⎜ ∑ ti ⎟
MTTF = ⎝ i =1 ⎠
n
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Example:
If six units were tested until failure,, and the times to failure
were 320 , 250, 380, 290, 310 and 400 hrs respectively,
calculate the MTTF.
Solution:
The total test time would be 1950 hrs,
⇒ MTTF = 1950/6 = 325 hrs
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
MAINTAINABILITY
is the activity by which the useful life of an item can
be extended by carrying out corrective action at
specified intervals.
“Maintenance
Maintenance is a combination of any actions carried out to
retain an item in or restore it to an acceptable standard” to
perform its intended function
NOTE:
GOOD MAINTENANCE AIMS TO KEEP PRODUCTION MACHINERY
& EQUIPMENT IN EFFICIENTWORKING CONDITION ALL THE
TIME
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINABILITY

to design and develop systems and equipment which can

be maintained at the least time and at the least cost and
with minimum expenditure of supporting resources
without
ih adversely
d l affecting
ff i the h item
i performance
f or
safety.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
OBJECTIVES OF MAINTENANCE
- to extend the useful life of equipment
- to ensure optimum availability of the installed
equipment
- to ensure operational readiness of all equipment
for emergency conditions
- to ensure safety of personnel using the equipment
and facility where installed
Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Availability:

is defined as “a percentage measure of the degree to

which machinery and equipment is in an operable and
committable state at the point in time when it is
needed.”
U
Availabilityy ((A)) =
U+D
Where
U = Up
U ti
time , during
d i which
hi h the
th machine
hi isi in
i working
ki order
d
D = Down time , during which the machine is faulty and being repaired.
 Introduction to Reliability
Engineering
Availability Classifications
The definition of availability is somewhat flexible and is largely based on
what types of downtimes one chooses to consider in the analysis. As a
result, there are a number of different classifications of availability, such
as:
- Instantaneous (or Point) Availability
Availability.
- Average Up-Time Availability (or Mean Availability).
- Steady State Availability.
Availability
- Inherent Availability.
- A hi d A
Achieved Availability.
il bilit
- Operational Availability.