RELIABILITY

Reliability
Reliability is the probability of a component to behave or to
perform adequately in the manner expected of it for a period
under the given conditions
For example: Customer or we always wants that the products
which we purchase must be reliable, reliable means that these
product must fulfill our requirements without failure for a
considerable time
Hence, Reliability stress on
• Probability
• Performance
• Time
• Operating conditions
 Reliability Vs Quality

Quality is defined as the degree to which a device or component

meets various standards (Efficiency, accuracy, aesthetic looks)
specified for it

Where as,

Reliability means ABLE TO BE TRUSTRED or NOT TO

BREAK DOWN in operation
 Reliability & Unreliability

Reliability is the percentage of healthy items passed the

given test.
If total items = N,
No of items passed the test = n
No of items do not passed the test = m
Reliability = n / N
Unreliability = m / N

Reliability + Unreliability = 1
 Failure and Failure modes
Failure density: The ratio of no of failures during a given unit
interval of time to the total no of items at very beginning of the
test .
Failure density during 1st interval = fd1 = n1 / N
Failure density during 2nd interval = fd2 = n2 / N
Failure density during ith interval = fdi = ni / N
Let, (e) be the last interval after which there are no survivors
then fde = ne / N
Therefore fd1 + fd2 + ……..fde = n1 / N + n2 / N +…..+ ne / N
= ( n1 + n2 + …..ne ) / N = N / N = 1

Therefore, Sum of the values of failure density = 1

 .

Failure rate(Z): Ratio of no of failure during a particular unit

interval to the average population(average population at the
beginning and (at the end of the interval) during that interval. It
is also called as HAZARD RATE/INSTANTANEOUS FAILURE RATE
Suppose for 1000 component no of failure at time o, 1, 2are
given in table
Time No of Cumulative No of Failure Failure Relibilit
failure failure survivors density(fd) rate(Z) y
0 0 0 1000 n/N = 0/1000= 1-0=
0/1000 =0 0 1
1 130 130 1000-130 = 130/1000 0.139 1-.0139
870 = 0.13 = 0.87
2 83 213 870-83 = 83/1000= 0.101 1-0.101
787 0.083 = 0.899

Z(1) = 130 / {(870+1000)/2}= 0.139

Z(2) = 83 / {(870+787)/2} = 0.101
Suppose initial component is 1000 and no failure at different
time interval is given, find failure density, failure rate and
reliability

Time No of No of Failure Failure rate Reliability

failure survivors density(fd) (Z)
0-1hrs 60 940 60/1000 60/{(1000+940)/2} 1-0.0619
= 0.06 = 0.0619 =0.94
1-2hrs 40 900 0.04 40/920 = 0.043 0.9
2-3hrs 30 870 0.03 30/885 = 0.034 0.87
3-4hrs 40 830 0.04 40/850 = 0.047 0.83
4-5hrs 50 780 0.05 50/805 = 0.062 0.78
 .

Mean time to failure(MTTF):

If Z1 is the failure rate for 1st hrs, Z2 is the failure rate for 2nd
hrs……. And so on, Then MTTF = (Z1 + Z2 + ….. ZT) / T
Where ZT = Failure rate at T hrs
Mean time between failure(MTBF): It is the average value of
time interval between successive failure of equipment
Thus MTBF = Equipment operating time / No of observers failure
Failure rate : It is the no of failure per minute
Failure rate F= 1/ MTBF
Mean time to restore(MTTR): it is time to require to locate a
failure and to repair it
Availability: It is the ratio of satisfactory operating time to the
total operating time of the system = MTBF / (MTBF + MTTR)
 Bath tub curve
Bath tub curve: If failure rate is plotted against time for a particular class of
equipment, the curve obtained is similar to Bath tub. This curve has 3 distinct
zone

Early failure
Normal operating Wear out
period
period period
Failure rate

C D

O A B Time
 .

Early failure period/infant mortality: This is due to manufacturing defects, such as

weak parts, poor installation, bad assembly, poor fits,etc. Here defective units are
eliminated during the initial failure period this period is known as debugging or
burn in period

Normal operating period/constant failure rate period: This is due to sharp change
in parameters determining the performance of the units, etc this is the period of
normal operations and is characterized by const. no of failures per unit time.

Wear out failure: Due to wear and tear of the components, detoriation of
components with physico-chemical change.Pre-diagnosis of wear out failure is very
difficult. In this period failure rate is very high.
Causes of failure:
• Poor design
• Wrong manufacturing technique
• Lack of total knowledge and experience
• Complexity of equipment
• Poor maintenance
• Human error
 System Reliability
System reliability analysis is conducted in terms of probabilities.
Different elements/components or subsystems of a product or
device can be connected basically in three ways.
• Components connected in series
• Components connected in parallel
• Mixed system
 Components connected in series
If components of an assembly are connected in series the failure
of any part causes the failure of the assembly or a system. In this
type of system the reliability of the assembly is given by the
product of the reliabilities of the individual component.
1 2 3

Let system connected to n parts

Therefore, RS(t) = R1(t) . R2(t) . R3(t)………Rn(t)
 Components connected in parallel
If the components of an assembly are connected in parallel then
failure of all the component will fail the system . If one
component fails , system still continue to function . Parallel
system increases the system reliability
Let qi = Probability of failure of i th component
pi = 1 – qi = probability of success
1
Probability of failure of system
F(t) = q1 . q2. q3. …………..qn
2
Therefore, Reliability of system = Rs(t) = 1 – (1-p1)(1-P2)…..(1-Pn)
= 1 – F(t)
 Mixed systems
It consists of 2 devices A and B connected in series. Device A
consists of two parts 1 and 2. Device B also consists of two parts
3 and 4 , connected in parallel 1 3
Reliability of device A =
RA(t) = 1 – (1-P1).(1-P2) 2 4
Reliability of device B =
RB(t) = 1 – (1-P3).(1-P4)

Reliability of system Rs(t) = RA(t) . RB(t)

= {1 – (1-P1).(1-P2)}.{1 – (1-P3).(1-P4)}
 .

Q1. consider a series system. The probability of each element is

given below
0.8 0.7 0.9 0.6

Determine the system reliability

Q2. At an electric generating system the reliability and failure

rate of each of the unit in the system is given below, Find the
total reliability of the power station and its failure rate
unit reliability Failure rate
Furnance 0.6 8 * 10^-3
Boiler 0.8 12*10^-3
Chimney 0.9 12*10^-3

Superheater 0.9 4*10^-3

Turbine 0.85 3*10^-3
Generator 0.89 15*10^-3
 .

Q3.A system has ten identical components connected in series. It

is desired that the system should have the reliability of 0.95.
Determine how good the performance of each component
should be.
Q4. three lamps are connected in parallel to produce light in a
hall. The reliabilities of the lamp are 0.92, 0.95, 0.96. Find the
reliabilities of the total lamp system If these lamps are
connected in series, determine the reliability of the system
Q5. two electrical resistance having their failure rates Z 1 = 0.1
and Z 2 = 0.2 per hrs. Calculate their reliability after 10 hrs if
they are in parallel and in a series
Q6. Five elements (a,b,c,d,e) of a system are connected as
shown in fig. which also indicates the reliability of each
element. Determine the reliability of the system.
 0.8

0.9

0.8 0.9

0.8

Q7. Three electric lamps are connected in parallel. The failure

rate of each lamps is Z = 0.001 perhrs. Find the mean time
between failures. If the same lamps are connected in series,
calculate MTBF .