Automated reliability model construction
R. SCHABOWSKY, Michael F. Luniewicz, M. RADLAUER · Astrodynamics Conference · 1986
A computer-based system for performing automated system reliability analyses of fault tolerant systems using a Markov modelling approach has been described previously[l]. That system features a flexible user-interface, allowing the description of system components and their interconnectivity, component level failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), multiple performance levels, and other information through a graphical user-interface. From these inputs the system constructs a fault-occurrence Markov model, automatically carrying out system level FMEA and applying state aggregation and model truncation rules to arrive at a bounded prediction of system reliability. In this paper an expanded version of the automated reliability analysis tool is described. Expanded features include the capability for hierarchical system description, the ability to handle coverage at the component and system level, the ability to model simple repairs, and the ability to handle components with spares. Also, the user-interface has been enhanced to further facilitate the entering of the system description and the inspection of the computerconstructed Markov model. In order to illustrate some of the features of the reliability analysis tool, a system description for a dual redundant fault-tolerant engine controller and the Markov model that is automatically generated from that description are presented.