Impact of Reliability in Conceptual Design—An Illustrative Trade-Off Analysis

Abstract

System reliability is treated as a parameter and not modeled in the early concept design stages. We illustrate a reliability model for system reliability in early concept design using knowledge from similar systems, technology readiness levels (TRL), and functional analysis methods using an unmanned ground vehicle. We integrate the reliability model with performance and cost models to demonstrate the impact of reliability in early concept design. The resultant tradespace comparison with and without early reliability assessment illustrates that reliability modeling can identify infeasible solutions in early system design. This will allow system designers to focus development on the most promising concept designs.

Keywords

• reliability in concept design
• reliability in early system design
• reliability in trade-off analysis