Application of Reliability, Availability and Maintenance Principles and Tools for Ship Design

Abstract

Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) is one of the most performing tools to assess the performance of a system, which is computed in terms of operational availability and its Life-Cycle Cost. Results from a RAM study allow identifying possible causes of operational losses and examining possible system improvements, making this analysis a tool for decision-making allowing costs versus benefits analysis. Reliability, Availability and Maintainability is not commonly addressed in ship design. However, the level of complexity and automation of ships is more and more increasing due to environmental regulations and economical concerns, with a clear trend towards future autonomous shipping. This calls for an evolution of the design of complex ships equipped with many systems, operated in complex multiple operational profiles and involved in critical operations, where malfunctions would result in large impacts on human, asset or the environment. In this context, key focus areas for ship design are ensuring and verifying safety and reliability, and accounting for the systems maintenance and Life-Cycle Cost. In this context, this chapter focuses on the applicability of RAM analysis to ship design. After an elicitation of the RAM objectives, an overview of existing analysis methods is presented. Then important items such as target ships, specificities of ship design, main ship systems to be analysed, RAM analysis process, most suitable methods, main required functionalities of RAM tool and availability of reliability data are discussed. The actual integration of RAM analysis in the global ship design process is to be developed and demonstrated within the HOLISHIP project.