Probabilistic Reliability Engineering

Book excerpt: With the growing complexity of engineered systems, reliability hasincreased in importance throughout the twentieth century. Initiallydeveloped to meet practical needs, reliability theory has become anapplied mathematical discipline that permits a priori evaluationsof various reliability indices at the design stages. Theseevaluations help engineers choose an optimal system structure,improve methods of maintenance, and estimate the reliability on thebasis of special testing. Probabilistic Reliability Engineeringfocuses on the creation of mathematical models for solving problemsof system design. Broad and authoritative in its content, Probabilistic ReliabilityEngineering covers all mathematical models associated withprobabilistic methods of reliability analysis, including--unique tothis book--maintenance and cost analysis, as well as many newresults of probabilistic testing. To provide readers with all necessary background material, thistext incorporates a thorough review of the fundamentals ofprobability theory and the theory of stochastic processes. Itoffers clear and detailed treatment of reliability indices, thestructure function, load-strength reliability models, distributionswith monotone intensity functions, repairable systems, the Markovmodels, analysis of performance effectiveness, two-pole networks,optimal redundancy, optimal technical diagnosis, and heuristicmethods in reliability. Throughout the text, an abundance of realworld examples and case studies illustrate and illuminate thetheoretical points under consideration. For engineers in design, operations research, and maintenance, aswell as cost analysts and R&D managers, ProbabilisticReliability Engineering offers the most lucid, comprehensivetreatment of the subject available anywhere. About the editor JAMES A. FALK is Professor and Chairman of the Department ofOperations Research at George Washington University. In addition tohis numerous publications, Dr. Falk has lectured internationally asa Fulbright Lecturer. Of related interest... The reliability-testing "bible" for three generations of EasternEuropean scientists, adapted for Western scientists andengineers... HANDBOOK OF RELIABILITY ENGINEERING Originally published in the USSR, Handbook of ReliabilityEngineering set the standard for the reliability testing oftechnical systems for nearly three generations of appliedscientists and engineers. Authored by a group of prominent Sovietspecialists in reliability, it provides professionals and studentswith a comprehensive reference covering mathematical formulas andtechniques for incorporating reliability into engineering designsand testing procedures. Divided into twenty-four self-containedchapters, the Handbook details reliability fundamentals, examinescommon reliability problems and solutions, provides a collection ofcomputation formulas, and illustrates practical applications. The Handbook's Russian editor and internationally recognized expertIgor A. Ushakov has joined with American engineering professionalsto bring this indispensable resource to English-speaking engineersand scientists. 1994 (0-471-57173-3) 663 pp.