Reliability of Safety-Critical Systems Theory and Applications

Presents the theory and methodology for reliability assessments of safety-critical functions through examples from a wide range of applications

Reliability of Safety-Critical Systems: Theory and Applications provides a comprehensive introduction to reliability assessments of safety-related systems based on electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic (E/E/PE) technology. With a focus on the design and development phases of safety-critical systems, the book presents theory and methods required to document compliance with IEC 61508 and the associated sector-specific standards.

Combining theory and practical applications, Reliability of Safety-Critical Systems: Theory and Applications implements key safety-related strategies and methods to meet quantitative safety integrity requirements. In addition, the book details a variety of reliability analysis methods that are needed during all stages of a safety-critical system, beginning with specification and design and advancing to operations, maintenance, and modification control. The key categories of safety life-cycle phases are featured, including strategies for the allocation of reliability performance requirements; assessment methods in relation to design; and reliability quantification in relation to operation and maintenance. Issues and benefits that arise from complex modern technology developments are featured, as well as:

• Real-world examples from large industry facilities with major accident potential and products owned by the general public such as cars and tools
• Plentiful worked examples throughout that provide readers with a deeper understanding of the core concepts and aid in the analysis and solution of common issues when assessing all facets of safety-critical systems
• Approaches that work on a wide scope of applications and can be applied to the analysis of any safety-critical system
• A brief appendix of probability theory for reference

With an emphasis on how safety-critical functions are introduced into systems and facilities to prevent or mitigate the impact of an accident, this book is an excellent guide for professionals, consultants, and operators of safety-critical systems who carry out practical, risk, and reliability assessments of safety-critical systems. Reliability of Safety-Critical Systems: Theory and Applications is also a useful textbook for courses in reliability assessment of safety-critical systems and reliability engineering at the graduate-level, as well as for consulting companies offering short courses in reliability assessment of safety-critical systems.

Acknowledgments xvii

1 Introduction 1

2 Concepts and Requirements 25

3 Failures and Failure Analysis 53

4 Testing and Maintenance 77

5 Reliability Quantification 91

6 Relaiability Data Sources 165

7 Demand Modes and Performance Measures 175

8 Average Probability of Failure on Demand 191

9 Average Frequency of Dangerous Failures 273

10 Common-Cause Failures 309

11 Imperfect Proof-Testing 343

12 Spurious Activation 359

13 Uncertainty Assessment 381

14 Closure 393

Appendix A Elements of Probability Theory 399

Acronyms 423

Symbols 427

Bibliography 431

Index 443

MARVIN RAUSAND is Professor in the Department of Production and Quality Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. With more than thirty-five years of academic experience, he has published a high number of peer-reviewed articles in his areas of research interest, which include system reliability theory, risk analysis, maintenance optimization, and probabilistic modeling. Professor Rausand is the author of Risk Assessment: Theory, Methods, and Applications and System Reliability Theory: Models, Statistical Methods, and Applications, Second Edition, both published by Wiley.