MEE 514 DESIGN RELIABILITY 2 (ADAPTED FROM DIETER(2000)

DEFINITIONS AND EXPRESSIONS FOR CALCULATIONS

For a sample of components

R ( t )+ F ( t )=1 (1)
Where R(t) and F(t) are the reliability and unreliability with respect to time
respectively.
N s ( t )+ N f ( t )=N 0 (2)
Where N 0 , N s ( t ) ∧N f ( t ) are total components on test, number surviving and
number failed at time t respectively.
Reliability is related to these quantities from its definition,
Ns ( t ) N f (t )
R ( t )= =1− (3)
No No

The hazard rate, or instantaneous failure rate h ( t ) : this is the number of

failures per unit time per the number of items exposed for the same time. The
hazard or failure rate is given in terms like 1 percent per 1000 h or hour.
Components in the range of failure rates of 10-5 to 10-7 per hour exhibit
commercial level of reliability.

Reliability is related to the hazard rate as

( )
t
R ( t )=exp −∫ h ( t ) dt (4)
0

For a special case of constant failure rate,

h ( t )=λ (5)

( )
t
R ( t )=exp −∫ h ( t ) dt =e
−λt

R ( t )=e
− λt
(6)
number of failures
λ= failure ¿ (7)
number of time units during which all items were exposed ¿
Mean time between failures (MTBF): This is the mean time between two
successive component failures. it is applied for components or systems that are
repaired. It is the reciprocal of λ ,
1
MTBF=₸ =
λ
(8)
Reliability is related to the MTBF through the expression
R ( t )=e
−t /₸
(9)

Mean life: This is the average life of the No components put on test or in
service, measured over the entire life curve out to wearout.
Mean time to failure (MTTF): This is the sum of the survival time (up time)
for all of the components divided by the number of failures. This can be applied
to any period in the life of the component. MTTF is used for parts that are not
repaired, like light bulbs transistors, and bearings, or for systems containing
many parts, like a printed circuit board or a spacecraft. When a part fails in a
nonrepairable system, the system fails; therefore, system reliability is a function
of the first part failure.
For a system of m components, all of different ages, each with its own MTTFj,
and each of which is immediately replaced on failure, the MTBF and MTTFJ are
related by the expression,

m
1 1
=∑ (10)
MTBF j=1 MTTF j

EXAMPLES

(a) If a device has a failure rate of 2x10-6 failures/h what is its reliability for an
operating period of 500h? If there are 2000 items in the test, how many
failures are expected in 500h assuming a constant failure rate?

t = 500 h, λ = 2x10-6 failures/h, No = 2000

using Eq. 6,
− λt
R ( t )=e
= 0.999
 From Eq. 3
Ns = No R ( t ) = 1998
From Eq. 2
Nf = No – Ns = 2 failures expected

(b) Ten materials for the design of a mechanical component were put on test
and the number of cycles to failure were determined. The number of cycles at
failure were;
560, 685, 820, 956, 1024,1150, 1689, 1850, 1900, 1956.
Assuming constant failure rate, calculate the:
(i) The mean cycle(time) to failure
(ii) Failure rate
(iii) Reliability at 1500 cycles
(iv) Number of cycles at which the reliability is 90% (Adediran, 2014)

(b) Mean cycle time to failure.

(ii) Failure rate

(iii) Reliability at 1500 cycles

t= 1500

(iv) When R = 0.90, then the number of Cycles is given by