Analysis and Evaluation of a Wind Tunnel Balance with Reliability Considerations

Balance strain gauge bridges should operate with a high accuracy level and therefore the system of balance is considered as a precise device. Several significant matters, like safety, dependability, and reliability are involved in designing precise devices. Therefore, the fault tolerance property of balance systems is very important. The structure of a balance system and all types of errors affecting its operation are analyzed in this work. Then, the failure rate of balance components, such as balance structure, strain gauges, and power supply, are estimated using manufacturer technical documents or by doing field tests. Finally, the effect, of each component on the reliability of the system is investigated and the system reliability is calculated using a proposed Markov model. Simulation results show that shortening the duration time of experiments in the wind tunnel leads to system reliability improvement and experiment cost reduction.