Numerical Calculation of Mean Mission Duration

The purpose of this paper is to show how numerical integration can be used to calculate Mean Mission Duration (e.g., as required in MIL-STD-1543, Reliability Program Requirements for Space and Missile Systems). The accuracies, limitations, and applications of trapezoidal, Simpson's Rule, Weddle's Rule, and Gauss-Legendre numerical integration are discussed and a sample computer program for Weddle's Rule is presented. Weddle's Rule is shown to yield the most accurate results for hand calculators and those computers without preprogrammed routines while methods of the Gaussian type are shown to be the most accurate without regard for complexity of calculation.