A Novel Markov System Dynamics Framework for Reliability Analysis of Systems

Abstract

System reliability is considered as an important performance index. Performance of engineering systems can be assessed by various techniques. The traditional analytical approach consists of developing a mathematical model that represents the system and to evaluate its reliability indices. There have been attempts in the literature to derive more realistic approaches for the reliability analysis of systems, for example, based on simulations. This paper proposes a hybrid approach called Markov System Dynamics (MSD) approach which combines the Markov approach with system dynamics simulation approach for performing a reliability analysis and for studying the dynamic behavior of systems. This approach will have the advantages of both the methodologies that of Markov processes as well as system dynamics. The proposed framework is illustrated by a numerical example for a single component system with increasing failure rates. The results of the simulation when compared with those obtained by the traditional Markov analysis clearly validate the Markov System Dynamics (MSD) approach as an alternative for reliability analysis.