Provides a general survey of the techniques of reliability engineering with a focus on theoretical basis and quantitative methods, with frequent examples of application. Topics include mathematical definition of reliability, probabilistic models to represent failure phenomena, statistical life models for non-repairable components, reliability data analysis, failure modes and effects analysis, risk analysis, and system reliability models including fault trees, event trees. Students will learn how to apply these techniques to problems related to engineering systems, with example cases for process plants, energy systems and infrastructure.

Basic probability and statistics. Application of selected mathematical techniques to the analysis and solution of reliability engineering problems. Applications of matrices, vectors, tensors, differential equations, integral transforms, and probability methods to a wide range of reliability related problems.

Reliability data collection and analysis is of high (practical) importance in many essential engineering tasks including but not limited to: design alternatives evaluation, failure root cause analysis, early detection of field reliability problems, warranty reserve allocation, and others. The course teaches nonparametric and parametric statistical procedures of reliability data analysis for both non-repairable and repairable systems. It covers test data analysis (including accelerated and degradation testing), field data analysis (including warranty data and connected fleets data). Machine learning methods in reliability data analysis are discussed as well, along with special topics on condition-based maintenance and prognostics.

Students learn representative machine learning algorithms with applications to reliability engineering. This course will cover model-based methods for reliability analysis, reliability model parameter estimation with both maximum likelihood approaches and Bayesian approaches, model selection, and model-based methods for health monitoring and reliability prediction. This course will also cover data-driven methods for reliability analysis, including neural networks, deep neural networks, random forest, support vector machines. Lastly, this course will cover topics on decision optimization based on reliability analysis, focusing on the Markov decision process and reinforcement learning.

Why study risk, sources of risk, overview of Risk Assessment and Risk Management, relation to System Safety and Reliability Engineering; measures, representation, communication, and perception of risk; overview of use of risk assessment results in decision making; overview of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) process; detailed converge of PRA methods including (1) methods for risk scenario development such as identification of initiators, event sequence diagrams, event trees, causal modeling (fault trees, influence diagrams, and hybrid methods), and simulation approaches; (2) methods of risk scenario likelihood assessment, including quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as uncertainty modeling and analysis. Also covers methods for risk modeling of system hardware behavior, physical phenomena, human behavior, software behavior, organizational environment, and external physical environment. Additional core topics include risk model integration and quantification (Boolean-based, binary decsion diagram, Bayesian belief networks, and hybrid methods), simulation-based Dynamic PRA methods (discrete and continuous) and several examples of large scale PRAs for space missions, nuclear power, aviation and medical systems.

Reliability is the ability of a product or system to perform as intended (i.e., without failure and within specified performance limits) for a specified time, in its life-cycle conditions. Knowledge of reliability concepts and principles, as well as risk assessment, mitigation and management strategies prepares engineers to contribute effectively to product development and life cycle management. This course teaches the fundamental knowledge and skills in reliability as it pertains to the design, manufacture, and use of electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical products. Topics cover the suitability of the supply chain members to contribute towards development, manufacturing, distribution and support of reliable products; efficient and cost-effective design and manufacture of reliable products; process capability and process control; derating, uprating, FMMEA, reliability prediction and reliability allocation; how to plan and implement product testing to assess reliability; how to analyze degradation, failure, and return data to estimate fundamental reliability parameters; root cause analysis; and reliability issues associated with warranties, regulatory requirements, and liabilities.