Title: The reliability allocation application in vehicle design

Authors: Gradimir lvanovic

Addresses: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, 27 Marta 80, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Abstract: Up-to-date technical systems are required to have high reliability characteristics. To attain them, it is necessary to take particular care (apart from laboratory and in service reliability examination) in reliability design from the early stage of development of the motor vehicle technical system. Reliability design for a new vehicle includes allocation of vehicle reliability to elements which should meet specified reliability requirements. To meet certain technical and economical requirements, a method has been developed for choosing the “best” reliability allocation from the aspect of achieving minimum vehicle cost (Cmin for specified reliability (Rs). In addition, this method offers the possibility of achieving maximum reliability (Rmax) for specified vehicle cost (Cs). This method uses the Lagrange multipliers method. This paper presents a reliability allocation method allowing the technoeconomic requirements imposed on the vehicle to be satisfied in an appropriate way. The method was developed having in mind some specific points arising in the construction of the vehicle and the dependence between vehicle cost and reliability. In addition, a procedure was developed which permits the choice of the “best” reliability allocation by the multicriteria ranking method by compromise programming, where vehicle cost and reliability represent the criteria for choosing the “best” solution.

Keywords: cost-effectiveness; vehicle reliability; vehicle design; vehicle costs; reliability allocation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2000.005186

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2000 Vol.24 No.2/3, pp.274 - 286

Published online: 09 Sep 2004 *

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