UNIT-- V

UNIT

MAINTAINABILITY

What you will know..

Redundancy-Redundancy

unit,
element,
standby

Reliability allocation for series system

Maintainability

Availability

System downtime

Redundancy

Definition: The provision of an alternative means

or parallel paths in a system for accomplishing a
given task such that all means must fail before
causing a system failure.

The various approaches for introducing

redundancy in a system are as follows

Unit redundancy
Element redundancy
Standby redundancy

Unit redundancy: The simplest and most straight

forward approach is to provide a duplicate path
for the entire system

Element redundancy: This is an approach in

which the redundant paths are provided for each
element

Standby redundancy: In this approach the failed

equipment or unit is replaced manually or
automatically by its equivalent

Unit redundancy

Consider a 2 component series system.

Assuming statistically independent and identical units at
each element level, the reliability of the unit redundant
system (RU)
is given by RU = 11- ( 11-P1P2 ) x ( 11-P1P2 )
= 2 P1P2 P12 P22

C1

C2

C1

C2

Where C1 and C2 are components 1 and 2 and

P1 and P2 are reliabilities of components 1 and 2

 If

we extend this analysis to a more

general case where the unit consists of n
components in series and assuming that
m-1 units are added across the primary
unit, the redundancy
RU = 11- ( 11- Pn ) m

Standby redundancy

All components are not suitable for active redundancy.

For instance, resistors and capacitors create design
problems when put actively in parallel. The failure of one
or two such components operating in parallel will change
the circuit constants
Similarly2 electric generators with different frequencies
cannot be put in parallel together. Nevertheless we still
we still wish to increase the reliability of the system.
Under such a circumstance, the kind of redundancy
known as standby redundancy is useful.

In a standby redundancy system the component or

equipment that has failed is replaced manually or
automatically by its equivalent. Let us consider a system S
having some units

Let a faulty unit 1 be replaced by unit 2 through the action of

a switch or contact which is actuated by a feedback sensing
and control device. Then the system reliability R is given by
R= P1P2 Pc + (1(1- P1) P2Pc Ps +P1 (1
(1-- P2) PtPc

Where
P1and P2 = Reliability of unit1 and unit 2 respectively
Pc = Reliability of switch or control
Ps = Reliability of sensing and control device
Pt= Probability that an inadvertent and premature switching
may not occur

If we assume that the sensing/control device

never fails and no premature switching takes
place, then system reliability R= Pc (P1+P2
P1P2)
Note that Unit I is kept under ready condition
from the beginning. i.e. Life of unit I begins from
start of the system.
Hence the increase in the reliability due to
redundancy is given by RR -P
i.e. Pc ( 22-P) 1) P and it will be positive only
when Pc > 1 / (2(2-P)

In a standby system the stand by component is

not used till the running component fails and
hence the equipment does not age at all and
hence would not fail.
Let the number of standby units be mm -1
The system has m units and can withstand mm -1
failures.
If the units are assured to be identical, then the
probability of x failures is governed by the
Poisson density function f(x)

Poisson density function

f(x)= {( t )x / x!} . e -t
Where = failure rate and, t = operating time
The possibility that the system is operating at time t is
given by
x
-t
R (t) = m 1 f(x) =
m 1 {( t ) / x! } . e

R(t)= e t ( 1+ t )

For a 2 unit system r (t) = e t ( 1+ t )

Or R standby = P [ 1 ln (P)]

x o

x o

Element redundancy
Let

a1 be an element whose reliability is

R1(a) .
Another element a2 , with reliability R2(a) ,
is connected to it in parallel as shown in fig
(1) .

 if

the system can operate with either a1

or a2 , then as the reliability of the
system is R (a1) + R (a2) - R (a1)
(a1) R (a2 )
, which is better than the individual
reliabilities of elements a1 and a2 .

Reliability allocation for a series system

Reliability

allocation is the process by

which the failure allowance for a system is
allocated in some logical manner among
its subsystems/elements

There

are two types of reliability allocation

methods viz. Failure rate method and
Minimum effort method

Failure rate method

Consider 2 elements 1 & 2 of a system to be in

series
R1(t) and R2(t)

where
R1(t) = e 1t
R2(t) = e 2t

Hence Rs(t)= e st
where

1= Failure rate of 1
2= Failure rate of 2
s= Failure rate of S = 1+ 2

Specified /expected failure rate E= E1+ E2

Where E1= (
(1/ s). E and E2= (
(2/ s). E

Failure rate method problem

A system has 4 units connected in series. The failure rates of

these units are as follows 1 =0. 002, 2 = 0. 003 3 =0. 007
4 =0. 004 It is desired that the maximum failure rate of the
system be E =0. 01. Allocate this among the 4 units.
Solution: Given that 1 =0. 002, 2 = 0. 003 3 =0. 007
4 =0. 004 and E =0. 01
To find: E1 , E2 , E3 , E4 , Now E1 = (
( 1 / s ) E
where s = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 0.002+0.003+0.007+ 0.004 = 0.016
Hence

E1 = (0.002 / 0.016 ) x 0.01 = 0.00125

similarly E2 =0.001875, , E3 =0.004375, E4=0.0025

Maintainability:

Maintainability is defined as the probability with which a

component or a system is restored to the original or
specified condition within a given time period when
maintenance action is taken

It depends on the design and installation of a system

There are two types of maintenance activities

Preventive
Corrective

Human factors play an important role in the design of an

effective and economic system for maintenance

Conventionally maintenance is classified as

Corrective maintenance: where maintenance or repair is taken up

after failure occurs

Preventive maintenance: where maintenance is done at regular

intervals as per schedule and this will prevent failures

Predictive maintenance: Symptoms or vital signs of failure are

looked for and once found it is corrected. Periodic checks for
machine working alone is carried out at regular intervals

Detective maintenance: This is used for machines or equipment

which are used only once in a while. Hence a periodic check is
done.

The above types are not enough to solve

maintenance problems
Hence RCM and TPM have evolved
RCM= reliability centered maintenance
Principles:
Focus on preservation of system function
Identification of failure modes
Prioritization of failure modes
Identification of preventive maintenance
tasks

 Implementation

process of RCM:
Define RCM objectives
Identify functional failure
Identify failure modes
Quantify failure consequences
Analyse functionality failures
Establish preventive costs
Optimize program

Benefits

Reduces failure and downtime costs

Improves system availability

Optimizes inventory of spare parts

Identifies hidden failure modes

Identifies potential design improvements

Availability

Availability when a system is functioning as it is

required to, then the system is said to be
available and when system has breakdown or is
in repair then it means that the system is not
available.

Types of Availability:

Inherent
Achieved
Operational

 Inherent

:Probability that system shall be

available for operation without any
preventive maintenance at any given time.
Ai = MTBF/(MTBF+MTTR)
Achieved

Availability: Probability that

system works under a said condition in a
given time.
Aa
Aa=
= MTBM/(MTBM+M)

Operational availability: The probability that a

system will operate satisfactorily under the said
condition at any given time.
Ao=
Ao
= MTBM/(MTBM+MDT)
Where MTBF = Mean time between failures
MTTR=Mean time to repair
MTBM=Mean time between maintenance
M= Mean at maintenance down time
MDT=Mean down time

System down time

When a system brakes down a certain amount of time is spent on
repairing it and bringing it back to working condition which is called
active repair time. The system will be checked periodically and
during this time also the system will not be available for production
and this time is called preventive maintenance down time.

Figure below indicates system availability.

Preventive Maintenance

Failure 1

t1

t2
d1

Failure 2

t3
d2

t4
d3

Here T1, T2, T3, T4 are availability periods.

D1= Preventive maintenance down time
D2 , D3 = Failure down time
Down time periods D2, D3 will consist of

Item ordering time: the time involved in

administration for placing order for spares
Item waiting time: when spares is not available the
time involved in waiting for the spare from supplier is
the item waiting time.
Item repair time: the actual repair time, the mean of all
such down times D1, D2 & D3 is called mean down
time

End of unit

Quiz--3
Quiz
1. What is the process where Symptoms or vital
signs of failure are looked for and once found it
is corrected, called?
2. Give the formula for Inherent Availability
3. Give the formula for operational Availability
4. What is the process which is used for
machines or equipment that are used only
once in a while called?
5. Expand RCM and TPM