ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE - CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

MSc Examination 2002

GUN SYSTEMS DESIGN COURSE

MILITARY VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY COURSE
WEAPON AND VEHICLE SYSTEMS COURSE

RELIABILITY

Thursday 11th April 2002: 1400 - 1540

(The first 10 minutes (1400 - 1410) are reading time only)

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

Write your candidate number on each answer book.

Attempt QUESTION 1 and TWO OTHER questions.

All questions carry the same number of marks.

(TURN OVER)
1
1 (a) Describe the general relationship between failure rate and
time for a population of similar systems. [3]

(b) For the examples give below, describe their Mission,

Function and Environment:

(i) The suspension on a Field Ambulance [3]

(ii) The reactor core temperature monitor in a Nuclear

Power Plant. [3]

(iii) An Armoured Personnel carrier [3]

(c) Discuss the ways in which the general relationship

described in part (a) applies to each of the examples. [3]

(d) The following Reliability Block diagram shows the

reliability structure for a security system.

C2 C3
C4

C5
C1

where Ri is the reliability of component C i in a particular

mission, and

R1 = 0.97, R2 = 0.94, R3 = 0.95, R4 = 0.87, R5 = 98

Calculate System Reliability.

[5]

2
2. (a) Write down the relationship between failure rate and time,
and between Reliability and time, for a component whose
lifetime follows a Weibull distribution. Define any terms
used. [4]

(b) Twenty five components, which are believed to follow a

Weibull distribution, were tested in identical environments.
The first 10 failed at times:

Plot this data on the Weibull paper provided and estimate

the parameters of the distribution.
[8]

(c) Outline the chief differences between software and other

manufactured items, with particular regard to the
achievement of reliability.
[8]

3. (a) What is the difference between the following types of reliability trial?

(i) Development Trial

(ii) Demonstration Trial

What are the main types of risk to customer and supplier in a reliability
demonstration trial?
[6]

(b) What is the name of the development trials of complex equipment, during
which failures are observed resulting in design changes before the trial
is continued?

(c) Define the following terms used in the analysis of such trials:

(i) cumulative MTBF (MC)

(ii) growth factor ()

(iii) instantaneous MTBF (MI)

(iv) the relationship between MC, MI and 

[5]

(QUESTION 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

3
(d) The cumulative failure times for the first 7 failures during such a trial
were:

Failure No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cumulative time 20 80 170 320 500 750 1000

(hours)

Produce a Duane plot of the data (on the log-log paper provided).
[4]

Estimate the following:

(i) the growth factor 

(ii) the cumulative and instantaneous MTBF’s at 3000 hours

(iii) the additional development time needed to achieve a specified

MTBF of 800 hours.
[5]

4
4 (a) Consider the following system diagram of a hydraulic
lifting arm.

NRVA
Tank A
Pump 1

NRVB
Seal
Tank B

Pump 2
Tank C
NRVC

Monitor

The hydraulic system is driven by fluid supplied by two main

tanks (Tank A & Tank B). Each tank is protected by a Non
Return Valve (NRV). Fluid is pressurised using Pump 1 and
flows into the lifting arm via a pressure seal. The lifting arm
will fail if the flow of fluid is interrupted, or if the hydraulic
pressure falls too low due to failure of the pressure seal. Minor
fluid leak can occur in the system. While these do not lead to
a drop in pressure, they will eventually cause the fluid tanks to
run dry if the levels are not kept topped-up.

To protect the system against a drop in pressure, a Pressure

Monitor is fitted. This device consists of a pressure sensor,
connected to the lifting arm, and a switch. If the pressure falls
to low, the switch is activated. This starts a second pump,
which draws fluid from a separate tank to top-up the pressure.

Draw a Fault Tree showing the possible causes of a lifting arm

hydraulic failure
[12]
(b) What is the purpose of the following types of Reliability
testing, and at what stage of a products development
would they be used:

(i) Environmental Stress Screening

(ii) Accelerated Life Testing

[3]

(END OF QUESTION PAPER)

5
Describe the steps you would go through to design and
carryout an Accelerated Life Test. [5]

(END OF QUESTION PAPER)

6