Laser System Reliability

Abstract

A study was conducted to develop techniques for considering reliability in the HEL (High Energy Laser) program at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory. This effort was specifically oriented toward developing reliability methodologies rather than toward performing complete reliability analyses with accurate numerical predictions. A reliability model was developed and a sufficiently detailed failure data base was established to allow application of the model to the three principal HEL systems under consideration: the GDL (gas dynamic laser), the CL (chemical laser), and the EDL (electrical discharge laser). Then methodologies were developed for treating the interactions of reliability with such closely related factors as life cycle cost and combat effectiveness. This philosophy has resulted in a study with an extremely wide scope, but with a very low level of detail.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1977
Accession Number
ADB017279

Entities

People

  • Darrell E. Spreen
  • Paul W. Dueweke
  • Robert M. Smith

Organizations

  • Braddock Dunn & McDonald

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Algorithms
  • Combat Effectiveness
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Confidence Limits
  • Control Systems
  • Databases
  • Engineers
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Gas Dynamic Lasers
  • Life Cycle Costs
  • Life Cycles
  • Military Aircraft
  • Optimization
  • Reliability
  • Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Inertial Navigation Systems.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy