Sudan University of Science and Technology

School of Mechanical Engineering

Reliability & Maintainability
Final Exam
2020
Answer All Questions
Time Allowed Two Hours

Question One: (25 Marks)

a) At what Phase of the product life cycle do we apply exponential distribution to
predict the reliability of the product ?

At the Useful Life phase (flat section of the Bathtub curve) we apply the exponential
distribution to predict the reliability of the product.

b) The length of the time that a particular piece of equipment operates before failure is a
random variable with cumulative distribution function :

𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏 − 𝒆𝒙𝒑 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒𝟑𝒕𝟐.𝟔

Calculate the following :

1. The probability that the equipment operates for more than five years without experiencing
failure

*given:
𝟐.𝟔
𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏 − 𝒆𝒙𝒑 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒𝟑𝒕𝟐.𝟔 ⇒ 𝑭(𝒕) = 𝟏 − 𝒆−𝟎.𝟎𝟒𝟑×𝒕

𝑡 = 5 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠
2.6
𝑅(𝑡) = 1 − 𝐹(𝑡) or 𝑅(𝑡) = 𝑒 −0.043×𝑡
2.6
𝐹(5)=1 − 𝑒 −0.043×5 = 0.9406

𝑅 (5) = 1 − 𝐹(5) = 1 − 0.9406 = 0.0593 = %5.93

2. suppose that 100 pieces of the equipment are placed into in year 0:

What fraction of the units surviving 4 years fail in year 5 ?

𝐹(5)−𝐹(4)
*Conditional Reliability = 𝑅(4)

2.6
𝐹 (4) = 1 − 𝑒 −0.043×4 = 0.7941
𝑅(4) = 1 − 𝐹(4) = 1 − 0.7941 = 0.2059

𝐹 (5) − 𝐹(4) 0.9406 − 0.7941

∴ = = 0.7115 = %71.15
𝑅(4) 0.2059

Question Two: (25 Marks)

(A) Failure mode of a component follows Weibull distribution model with :
Shape parameter =2.1 , Scale parameter = 12000

Find :

a. Reliability at 5000 hours

𝛽 = 2.1 𝜂 𝑜𝑟 𝜃 = 12000 𝑡 = 5000 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

𝑡 𝛽
−( )
𝑅 (𝑡) = 𝑒 𝜂

5000 2.1
𝑅 (5000) = 𝑒 −(12000) = 0.8529

b. Probability of the component failure during the first year of operation (360 days)

𝑡 = 360 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 = 360 × 24 = 8640 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

𝑡 𝛽
−( )
𝐹 (𝑡) = 1 − 𝑅(𝑡) = 1 − 𝑒 𝜂

8640 2.1
𝐹 (8640) = 1 − 𝑒 −(12000) = 0.3944

Suppose another component added on series . Find:

 Reliability of the system at 5000 hours

The Reliability of each component in the serial system at 𝑡 = 5000 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 equal

𝑅 (5000) = 0.8529

0.8529 0.8529

80
𝑅𝑠 = 𝑅1 × 𝑅2

𝑅𝑠 (5000) = 0.8529 × 0.8529 = 0.7274

(B) An item has constant failure rate = 𝟓. 𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓. When the item
fails, it is repaired to an “as good as new” condition.
The associated mean downtime is 6 hours.
The item is supposed to be in continuous operation.

a) Find the average availability of the item.

* given :

Constant Failure rate (𝝀) = 5.0 × 10−4 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

Mean Down Time (MDT) = 6 hours

* The item is supposed to be in continuous operation, means Operational Availability(𝐴0 ):

𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹
𝐴0 =
𝑀𝑇𝐵𝑀 + 𝑀𝐷𝑇

Mean Time Between Failure (𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹) = 1⁄𝜆

(𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹 ) = 1⁄ = 2000 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

5.0 × 10−4
𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹 2000
𝐴0 = = = 0.9970
𝑀𝑇𝐵𝑀 + 𝑀𝐷𝑇 2000 + 6

b) How many hours per year (365 days) will the item on average be out of operation?

𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = (1 −

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐴𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦) × 𝑡
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = (1 − 0.9970) ×
365 × 24 = 26.28 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

Question Three: (25 Marks)

1. Define Maintainability ?

Maintainability is defined as :

The Probability that a failed component or system, will be restored or repaired to a specified
conditions, within a period of time, when maintenance is performed in Accordance with
prescribed procedures.

2. list 5 common maintainability design characteristics .

Any 5 from the following :

 The main Maintainability Characteristics :

1. Modular Design.

2. Interchangeability.
 3. Standardization.

4. Accessibility.

 Other Characteristics :

1. Installation.

2. Controls.

3. Displays.

4. Test Points.

5. Failure indication (Location).

6. Illumination.

7. Size, Shape, and Wight.

8. Lubrication.

9. Adjustments and Calibration.

10. Tools.

11. Test Equipment.

12. Covers and Doors.

13. Connectors.

14. Labeling and Coding.

15. Manuals.

16. Safety.

17. Training Needs.

18. Human Factors.

19. Work Environment.

3. Availability is a function of Reliability and Maintainability (Discuss)

4. An electronic component has the following characteristics :

 MTBF = 400 hours

 MTTR = 4 hours .
Determine
 a. The probability that a repair action will accomplished in 8 hours , if the repair time
are exponentially distributed .

𝑡 = 8 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

Mean Time Between Failure (𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹) = 400 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

Mean Time TO Repair (𝑀𝑇𝑇𝑅) = 4 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

𝑡
−( )
𝑀(𝑡) = 1 − 𝑒 𝑀𝑇𝑇𝑅 (The Repair Time are exponentially distributed)
8
−( )
𝑀(8) = 1 − 𝑒 4 = 0.8646
b. The inherent availability.

𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹 400
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦(𝐴0 ) = = = 0.99
𝑀𝑇𝐵𝐹 + 𝑀𝑇𝑇𝑅 400 + 4

Question Four: (25 Marks)

For the following network :

1. Derive an expression for the system reliability in terms of the component reliabilities
(R) :

R R

R
R

R R R

*Solution :

R R

R
R

R R R
*The lower section of the system is connected in series ,then the equivalent Reliability of the
section is :

𝑅𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 = 𝑅1 × 𝑅2 × 𝑅3

∴ 𝑅 = 𝑅 × 𝑅 × 𝑅 = 𝑹𝟑

R R

R
R

𝑹𝟑

*This section from the system is connected in parallel , then the equivalent Reliability of the
section :

𝑅 = 1 − [(1 − 𝑅1 ) × (1 − 𝑅2 )]
𝑅 = 1 − [(1 − 𝑅) × (1 − 𝑅)]

𝑅 = 1 − [1 − 𝑅 − 𝑅 + 𝑅2 ]

∴𝑅 = 𝟐𝑹 − 𝑹𝟐

R 𝟐𝑹 − 𝑹𝟐 R

𝑹𝟑
*The upper part from the system is connected on series :

𝑅 = 𝑅1 × 𝑅2 × 𝑅3

𝑅 = 𝑅 × (2𝑅 − 𝑅2 ) × 𝑅

𝑅 = 𝑅2 × (2𝑅 − 𝑅2 )

∴ 𝑅 = 𝟐𝑹𝟑 − 𝑹𝟒

𝟐𝑹𝟑 − 𝑹𝟒

𝑹𝟑

* these two components are connected in parallel :

𝑅 = 1 − [(1 − 𝑅1 ) × (1 − 𝑅2 )]

𝑅 = 1 − [(1 − (2𝑅3 − 𝑅4 )) × (1 − 𝑅3 )]

𝑅 = 1 − [(1 − 2𝑅3 + 𝑅4 ) × (1 − 𝑅3 )]

𝑅 = 1 − [1 − 2𝑅3 + 𝑅4 − 𝑅3 + 2𝑅6 − 𝑅7 ]

𝑅 = 1 − 1 + 2𝑅3 − 𝑅4 + 𝑅3 −2𝑅6 + 𝑅7

𝑅 = 2𝑅3 − 𝑅4 + 𝑅3 −2𝑅6 + 𝑅7

∴ 𝑅 = 𝑹𝟕 − 𝟐𝑹𝟔 − 𝑹𝟒 + 𝟑𝑹𝟑

𝑹𝟕 − 𝟐𝑹𝟔 − 𝑹𝟒 + 𝟑𝑹𝟑 R
* The overall Reliability of the system :

𝑅𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 = 𝑅1 × 𝑅2

𝑅𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 = 𝑅 × (𝑅7 − 2𝑅6 − 𝑅4 + 3𝑅3 )

∴ 𝑹𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 = 𝑹𝟖 − 𝟐𝑹𝟕 − 𝑹𝟓 + 𝟑𝑹𝟒

∴ 𝑹𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 = 𝑹𝟒 (𝑹𝟒 − 𝟐𝑹𝟑 − 𝑹 + 𝟑)