Chapter 12 Process Reliability Analysis by Flow-Graph Methods

• Published in: Mathematics in Science and Engineering Vol. 98; pp. 223 - 244
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: 1973
• ISBN: 9780123408501; 0123408504
• ISSN: 0076-5392
• DOI: 10.1016/S0076-5392(08)62014-7

This chapter develops a general computer algorithm to calculate system reliability, given the reliabilities of each unit in the system and the relationships among the units in the form of a reliability graph. Besides giving the system reliability, programs calculate the sensitivity of system reliability to individual system units. It is important to have computer programs that efficiently predict the total reliability of complex systems and also give useful design information with respect to individual units. The algorithm developed in the chapter is based on the path-enumeration or tie-set method. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed and compared with typical algorithms based on the state-enumeration or event-space method.