Semi-automatic FMEA supporting complex systems with combinations and sequences of failures

Walker, Martin; Papadopoulos, Yiannis; Parker, David; Lönn, Henrik; Törngren, Martin; Chen, DeJui; Johannson, Rolf; Sandberg, Anders

Abstract

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a well established safety analysis technique used for the assessment of safety critical engineering systems in the automotive industry. Although FMEA has been shown to be useful, the analysis is typically restricted to the effects of single component failures; even partial analysis of combinations or sequences of multiple failures is in practice considered too complex, laborious and costly to perform. In this paper, we describe a new technique in which FMEAs are semi-automatically built from the topology of a system and component-level specifications of failure data. The proposed technique allows an extended form of combinatorial & sequential FMEA in which assessment of the effects of combinations and sequences of failures becomes feasible and cost effective. We show how this technique can address difficulties encountered in classical FMEA and, drawing from a simplified brake-by-wire example, we show how it can improve the assessment of safety critical automotive systems.

Citation

Walker, M., Papadopoulos, Y., Parker, D., Lönn, H., Törngren, M., Chen, D., Johannson, R., & Sandberg, A. (2009). Semi-automatic FMEA supporting complex systems with combinations and sequences of failures. SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars - Mechanical Systems, 2(1), 791-802. https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-0738

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 1, 2009
• Online Publication Date: Apr 20, 2009
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars- Mechanical Systems
• Print ISSN: 1946-4002
• Publisher: SAE International
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 791-802
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-0738
• Keywords: REF 2014 submission X
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/463691
• Publisher URL: http://saepcmech.saejournals.org/content/2/1/791.abstract
• Additional Information: Six months after the first publication of the work by SAE, the author may reproduce and distribute the work in print/film for one year and in electronic/optical media for five years, including posting the work on the author's website, or their company's website if work-made-for-hire. Posting on another company's website is not permitted, and must be approved by SAE International. http://www.sae.org/about/copyright/authors.htm 23/9/16 So we've missed our opportunity!
• Contract Date: Nov 13, 2014