Reliability Engineering

Student Notes

Abstract
This document contains the important points discussed in the pre-recorded courseware. It will help in revising the
important concepts related to Electrical and Electronics Technology course.

This Student Note is authorized for use only by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) - Pilani students. Copying or
posting of its content is an infringement of copyright.
 Reliability Engineering

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Lecture 9 Notes
Focus Topics:
 Availability: Concepts and definitions
 Exponential Availability Model
 Availability: Concepts and definitions
• Availability is the probability that a system or component is performing its
required function at a given point in time or over a stated period of time when
operated and maintained in a prescribed manner.
 A(t) is the availability at time t, referred to as the point availability.
 The average availability over the interval [0,T]

 The average availability over the interval [t1,t2] (mission or interval availability)

 The steady-state or the long-run equilibrium availability.

 The inherent availability is defined as

 Exponential Availability Model

 A single component system with exponential distributions is the simplest case
for determining point, interval and steady-state availability.
 Let λ– constant failure rate, r – constant repair rate.
 Assume that the system is either in operating/available state (state 1) or in
repair state (state 2). The transition rate diagram will be as follows:

 Treating this as a Markov process, the state equations

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This Student Note is authorized for use only by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) – Pilani
Students. Copying or posting of its content is an infringement of copyright. 1
 Reliability Engineering

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 The point availability for the system is, A(t) = P1(t) .

 The interval or mission availability is

 The steady state availability

 The mission availability

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This Student Note is authorized for use only by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) – Pilani
Students. Copying or posting of its content is an infringement of copyright. 2