← All activities
Recitation 4 · In-Class Activity

[In-Class Activity] Practice It: Block Diagrams

An in-class activity from the course slides — reproduced here so you can find it again after class.

📋 What to do

  1. Pick one of the four systems in the next card.
  2. Estimate system reliability at a specific time (e.g. t = 1000 hours), assuming an exponential lifespan distribution.
  3. Open the Team Boards, go to Topic Practice It Block Diagrams, and pick your system's problem. Type your team name and member names first.
  4. Show your reliability function and your calculation on the board.

🔧 The systems — pick one

  1. System 1 (blue). Component A in series with a parallel subsystem of W1 and W2, then component C. Failure rates: λA = 0.001, λW1 = 0.003, λW2 = 0.003, λC = 0.002. Block diagram: component A in series with a parallel subsystem of W1 and W2, then component C; lambda values 0.001, 0.003, 0.003 and 0.002
  2. System 2 (red). Component A in series with a parallel subsystem of W1 and W2, then component C — given as reliabilities rather than rates: RA(t = 1000) = 0.99, RW1 = RW2 = 0.93, RC = 0.90. Block diagram: A with R(t=1000) = 0.99 in series with a parallel subsystem of W1 and W2 at 0.93 each, then C at 0.90
  3. System 3 (yellow). A parallel subsystem of W1 and W2 at R(t = 1000) = 0.93 each, in series with a parallel subsystem of X1 and X2 at 0.99 each. Block diagram: a parallel subsystem of W1 and W2 at R(t=1000) = 0.93 in series with a parallel subsystem of X1 and X2 at 0.99
  4. System 4 (purple). Components X, Y and Z in series, mixing rates and a failure probability: λX = 0.001, λY = 0.005, and FZ(t = 1000) = 0.02. Block diagram: X, Y and Z in series, with lambda = 0.001, lambda = 0.005 and F(t=1000) = 0.02

📮 Submit

Submit on CANVAS (1 pt) — graded on completion.

Note: these instructions are the current version — the activity is written and kept up to date on this page, links to slide decks and helper materials included. Submit on Canvas; the due date and your grade live there.