Design for Reliability

Chapter 12

Design for Extreme Environments

Steven S. Austin

Overview

In a nonstandard environment, a normal application used for engineering, safety, reliability, and testing requires materials and testing using criteria outside the parameter of standards of acceptance. Harsh environments lead to cracks, higher failure rates, and destruction of personnel and material with a higher risk of loss. Planning and designing for an extreme environment incorporates new ideas with proven materials and lessons learned. This approach uses a subjective method of design and testing for all various types of extreme environments.

Designing for Extreme Environments

Human beings have fought the elements since the beginning of time, which from necessity of survival led to wearing furs, wool, cotton, nylon, polyester, and now Gortex and Thinsulate. Metals, plastics, lubricants, and glass have all taken on new identity ratings when used in extreme environments. To give credit to the pioneers of designing for extreme environments, the U.S. Army and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are leaders of technological advances in this area. Ruins of World War II vehicles and equipment are still visible today in such countries as Morocco, Libya, Syria, Italy, and Tunisia. Engineers have marveled at Rommel's and Montgomery's battles in Tunisia, but the fact remains that in the desert heat, sand, and low humidity, the moving parts of all vehicles are destroyed while unused metals are preserved. ...