Course syllabus for Methods of risk and reliability analysis

The course syllabus contains changes
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Course syllabus adopted 2021-04-15 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMetoder för risk- och pålitlighetsanalys
  • CodeMMS190
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPMOB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyMechanical Engineering, Shipping and Marine Technology
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

The course round is cancelled. For further questions, please contact the director of studies
  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 89122
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0121 Design exercise 2.5 c
Grading: UG		 2.5 c
0221 Examination, part A 5 c
Grading: TH		 5 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Mathematics (including mathematical statistics, numerical analysis and multi-variable calculus), mechanics and strength of materials and engineering materials

Aim

The course gives the student knowledge and tools how to design marine structures with regard to limit state based approaches by means of probability and risk analysis approaches. A variety of simplistic and advanced methodologies are compared with objective to demonstrate their advantages and limitations. Realistic and typical examples for marine structures are used throughout the course in order to introduce the student to real examples with their challenges of complexity which require solid and well-motivated assumptions.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

After finishing the course, students will have good knowledge and understanding of how to carry out risk and reliability analysis of mechanical systems. More specifically, the student should be able to:

- use and interpret design rules and standards in order to analyze risk and reliability levels according to given design criteria and safety measures,
- carry out reliability analysis for specific mechanical system components,
- demonstrate which is the most appropriate methodology to use in a risk and reliability analysis for certain practical engineering problems with respect to mechanical system safety,
- understand and discuss the advantages and limitations using FORM, SORM and other simulation method for reliability analysis,
- and critically evaluate and compare various design concepts with respect to reliability and safety of engineering systems.

Content

It is well recognised that limit state based approaches for marine structures are more realistic methodologies with better basis for structural design and strength assessment than traditional working stress-based approaches, the latter typically being formulated as a fraction of material such as yield strength. This is the situation because it is not possible to determine the true margin of structural safety as long as limit states remain unknown. A limit state is defined as a condition under which a particular structural component or an entire structural system fails to perform its designated function. Four types of limit states are relevant: serviceability limit state (SLS), ultimate limit state (ULS), fatigue limit state (FLS) and accidental limit state (ALS).

The course focuses on the risk and reliability analysis of the FLS and ULS criteria for ships and offshore structures. These criteria include the failure of critical components of the structure caused by metal fatigue due to cyclic loading, exceeding the ultimate strength (in some cases reduced by repetitive actions) by any combination of buckling, yielding, rupture or fracture, or the transformation of the structure into a mechanism associated with buckling collapse or excessive deformation. The course is divided into four parts as follows:

-Basic risk and reliability concepts in engineering systems
-Risk-based approaches in engineering fields
-Statistical distributions.
-Methods for uncertainty analysis.
-Introduction to limit state approaches
-Definition of limit states: definitions and stochastic variables
-Application of limit states in the design of engineering structures
-Reliability analysis methods
-First order reliability methods (FORM).
-Second order reliability methods (SORM).
-Simulation methods (Monte Carlo).
-Reliability and risk analysis in limit states design

Three mandatory computer assignments will be carried out where the student will practice gained knowledge during the course on realistic and typical examples for engineering systems.

Organisation

Teaching is in the form of lectures, tutorials-hand calculations, tutorials-computer calculations, and three mandatory computer assignments.

Literature

-The course literature is a compendium which can be bought at KOKBOKEN at Chalmers Campus Lindholmen.
-Tutorial examples, Tutorials-R computer exercises and Assignments will be handed out on the first lecture (free of charge).
-One old written exam with solutions will be handed out to the students.
-Ditlevsen, O. and Madsen, H.O. (2005). Structural Reliability Methods (online reference).

Examination including compulsory elements

The examination is performed by a mandatory written exam and through the three project assignments (report and presentation seminar). Note that all the three assignments (report and presentation) must have been approved before the written exam!

The grading is performed solely by the written exam (Bonus points from the assignments will be added to the score of the written examination!).

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course rounds:
    • 2021-04-15: Cancelled Changed to cancelled by UOL
      [Course round 1] Cancelled