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.

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.