Reliability management and assessment for the electric traction system on the Korea High-Speed Train

The Korea High-Speed Train (KHST) is complete and ready for commercial service. In preparation for commercial service, the reliability of the KHST was proven. In this article, a practical procedure is proposed to assess and manage the reliability of the prototype train traction system. The past data of a similar traction system are analysed in order to set the reliability target. The effectiveness of the procedure for reliability growth is shown. After the electric traction system is classified into subsystems, reliability analysis is carried out. Reliability block diagram and failure mode effect analyses are performed. The expressions for calculating the reliability are deduced and the mean kilometres between service failures are calculated using the previous failure rate data. Some practical criteria for the demonstration of reliability are proposed. Reliability growth is shown using a test run on a commercial line.