A practical solution for HVAC life estimation using failure models

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the technology of indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. The objectives of HVAC systems are to provide an acceptable level of occupancy comfort and process function, to maintain good indoor air quality, and to keep system costs and energy requirements to a minimum. Performing a reliability prediction provides an awareness of potential equipment degradation during the equipment life cycle. Reliability under a range of conditions is one of the most important requirements to guarantee in HVAC installed on trains. Predicting the reliability of mechanical equipment requires the consideration of its exposure to the environment and subjection to a wide range of stress levels such as impact loading. Often analysist find an unavailability of failure data in handbooks and problems for acquiring data for mechanical components, so the mentioned problems demonstrates the need for reliability prediction models. The paper deals with a HVAC installed on a high-speed train and evaluates the failure rates through the failure rate models suggested by the handbooks in order to assess a model which includes all the mechanical parts.