Product reliability is influenced by both design and operating and maintenance practices. This means both the equipment manufacturer and the equipment’s operator have an impact on the systems’ achievable level of availability. Many variables such as application (utility or cogeneration) or service or duty cycle (peaking, cycling, or continuous duty), influence the expected availability/reliability of any unit. These variables and an understanding of the expected “economic demand” the unit must fill are important elements for a realistic and accurate reliability assessment. These variables also affect the expected maintenance costs associated with the unit.
Both the equipment manufacturer and the equipment operator have a vested interest in understanding and influencing this process. If the expected level of reliability/availability is a major requirement of the equipment owner/operator, then there must be an accurate understanding of how the reliability of the unit will be protected over the long term. Thus the unit first cost and life cycle cost can be estimated in a meaningful way.
The objective of this paper is to provide an assessment of proved design reliability along with the application of on condition maintenance of Turbo Power and Marine Systems’ (Turbo Power) most recent product introduction, the FT8. A computer-aided reliability analysis was made by Turbo Power with the support of Strategic Power Systems, Inc. (SPS), to demonstrate and support the suitability of the FT8 for both peaking and continuous duty applications utilizing on condition maintenance concepts. Consequently, the presentation of the RAM analysis is organized to assist in developing a complete and comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the product and to develop realistic RAM (Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability) and life cycle cost expectations.
Modeling of full-scale propeller characteristics at the life cycle initial stages of marine systems
