Search results for "Reliability engineering"
showing 10 items of 224 documents
Criticality and sensitivity analysis of the components of a system
2000
Abstract In the design of complex systems there is a great interest to know the relative importance of each of their elements. In this paper, we define a new method for measuring the relative importance of each element of the system. We have to specify that this paper concerns only non-repairable systems and components. We present a way of calculating the criticality of each component for a complex system no matter what the random distribution of the life of the component is. The paper also demonstrates a simple way of calculating how the system life improves when the life of a component is improved.
Simple Circuit Models for Studying Global Earthing Systems
2007
The paper proposes three simple circuit models for the simulation of the behaviour of a global earthing system during different fault events. The models allow one the evaluation of the maximum earth potential rise at every possible fault location and for every possible fault event. The three considered fault events are: single-line-to-earth fault inside a MV/LV substation, double-earth-fault in a MV line, single-line-to-earth fault inside a HV/MV station. After having illustrated the hypotheses at the basis of the study, the circuit models for the three fault events are presented and a numerical example shows how to use them in order to check the "global safety" of the interconnected earthi…
Can the effective number of bits be useful to assess the measurement uncertainty?
2003
The effective number of bits (ENOB) is a well know parameter, employed to characterize the overall behavior of an A/D converter. In order to verify if the ENOB can be also used to assess the measurement uncertainty of the A/D conversion based instruments, we use a developed software tool. The results show that using the ENOB can lead to an underestimate of the uncertainties.
Uncertainty evaluation in the measurements for the electric power quality analysis
2013
The paper deals with the uncertainty estimation in the measurements performed to assess the electric power quality. In a first steps, according to the 'ISO - Guide to Expression of the Uncertainty in Measurements' all the error sources, which give a significant contribution to the combined uncertainty associated to the measurement results, are identified. Successively, in order to analyze how the errors propagate through the measurement chain, a Monte Carlo based approach is proposed. The method exploits an ad-hoc developed simulator of the measurement process, which takes into account the particular way of propagation of all the identified error sources. Eventually, with the aim of validat…
Risk evaluation and creep in conventional conductors caused by high temperature operation
2008
The advent of electricity market deregulation, the increased operating and overload temperatures of transmission line conductors have caused concern among TSOs (Transmission System Operators) and DSOs (Distribution System Operators) about the effect of elevated temperatures on conventional bare conductors of existing line. Nowadays building new lines is very difficult cause of increased costs to obtain rights of way, public intervention, etc.... Cost and lead times required to place new lines into service are now increased and the business in electric market is reduced for the limited possibility of transmission. Therefore, utilities are attempting to gain as much capacity as possible modif…
Reliability Analysis of a Stand-Alone PV System for the Supply of a Remote Electric Load
2010
The work presents a reliability analysis of a stand-alone photovoltaic system for the supply of electric loads located in remote areas not easily reachable by the low voltage distribution network. The analysis is performed by characterizing the electric load behavior by means of a Montecarlo approach for taking into account the stochastic variability of the electrical energy demand. A Montecarlo approach is used also for evaluating the electricity production of the stand alone photovoltaic system as a function of the hourly solar irradiation of the installation site. The variability both of the load and of the energy production are correlated and the probability that the load can remain uns…
A Dempster-Shafer Theory-based approach to the Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) under epistemic uncertainty: application to the…
2017
Abstract Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a safety and reliability analysis tool widely used for the identification of system/process potential failures, their causes and consequences. When aimed at the failure modes prioritization, FMEA is named Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). In the latter case, failure modes are commonly prioritized by means of the Risk Priority Number (RPN) that has been widely criticized to have several shortcomings. Firstly, in the presence of multiple experts supplying different and uncertain judgments on risk parameters, RPN is not able to deal with such a kind of information. Therefore, the present paper proposes the Dempster-Shaf…
Diagnosis of intermittent fault dynamics
2008
Diagnosis of intermittent faults is relevant for productive processes with a high level of maintenance caused by such failures. A characterization of diagnosed faults may save unnecessary repairs and enable better maintenance planning. This paper introduces the concept of diagnosis of intermittent fault dynamics. Moreover, a methodology for modelling intermittent faults and generating information for maintenance planning in discrete event systems is thoroughly covered.
Modular fault diagnosis based on discrete event systems for a mixer chemical process
2003
The knowledge of failure type and their location is an indispensable requirement for the establishment of tasks of adequate recovery strategies and maintenance of both factory automation and process control systems. The failure diagnosis methodology presented in the paper is based on discrete event systems models and on the diagnosers concept, those which permit the analysis off-line and online of diagnosability of failures that can occur in the processes. We present an approach for models and associated diagnosers based on a modular decomposition of the global system, with the purpose of avoiding the problems of the exponential explosion of the number of states and of the computational com…
Multi-objective optimized management of electrical energy storage systems in an islanded network with renewable energy sources under different design…
2014
The subject addressed in this paper is the definition of some strategies for the design and the optimaized management of EES (Electrical Energy Storage) systems, for an existing islanded distribution network supplying the Island of Pantelleria (Italy) in the Mediterranean Sea. In the paper the authors have drawn interesting conclusions through the application of an efficient MO (multi-objective) optimization algorithm, the NSGA-II, minimizing the energy losses in the grid, the total electricity generation cost and the greenhouse gas emissions. The results obtained for different installation scenarios of the EES are presented and discussed, putting into evidence the technical, environmental …