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Reliability analysis of a ‘point‐and‐point machine’ of the Indian railway signaling system
Author(s) -
Panja Subhash Chandra,
Ray Pradip Kumar
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
quality and reliability engineering international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1099-1638
pISSN - 0748-8017
DOI - 10.1002/qre.851
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , point (geometry) , derating , point process , reliability engineering , point to point , parametric statistics , computer science , poisson distribution , engineering , statistics , mathematics , telecommunications , power (physics) , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , voltage , electrical engineering
The operations of one of the vital subsystems of Indian Railways (IR) signaling called a ‘point‐and‐point machine’, which guides a train in changing its direction of movement from one track to another, are affected by a number of problems in relation to its intensity of use, repair and maintenance, and environmental stress. In this paper, the reliability modeling of a point‐and‐point machine is elaborately described taking into account the effect of the problems on its operational efficiency. It is observed that even when derating the system specifications (i.e. lowering the speed of the train), the reliability of the point‐and‐point machine system has been poor (0.44 after 1100 days of continuous operation) with existing preventive and corrective measures. Two graphical methods, namely, Nelson–Aalen and total‐time‐on‐test plots, are used to analyze the trend of the failure time data for a set of representative point‐and‐point machines in the Kharagpur Division of IR. The parametric model as recommended for estimating the reliability of the point‐and‐point machine is capable of correctly predicting its failure rate probability. The analysis of data obtained from a homogeneous Poisson process of the point‐and‐point machine system also leads to a better assessment of the reliability pattern with which the problems as mentioned above may be adequately and properly addressed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.