Abstract

A component in a k-out-of-n system may experience soft and hard failures resulting from exposure to natural degradation and random shocks. Due to load-sharing characteristics, once a component fails, the surviving components share an increased workload, which increases their own degradation rates. Moreover, under the larger workload, random shocks may cause larger abrupt degradation increments and larger shock sizes. Therefore, the system experiences the dependent workload and shock effects (DWSEs). Such dependence will cause the load-sharing system to fail more easily, though it is often not considered in existing methods. In this paper, to evaluate the system reliability more accurately, we develop a novel reliability model for load-sharing k-out-of-n systems with DWSEs. In the model, the joint probability density function of shock effects to soft and hard failures is developed to describe the DWSEs on a component. To derive an analytical expression of system reliability with load-sharing characteristics and DWSEs, conditional probability density function is used to model the random component failure times. A load-sharing MicroElectro-Mechanical System (MEMS) is then utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the reliability model

Highlights

  • IntroductionRedundancy technique is widely applied to ensure a system remain functional over a long period of time

  • In reliability engineering, redundancy technique is widely applied to ensure a system remain functional over a long period of time

  • Due to load-sharing characteristics and dependent workload and shock effects (DWSEs), the degradation rate and shock effects to soft and hard failures are all dependent on the number of failed components

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Summary

Introduction

Redundancy technique is widely applied to ensure a system remain functional over a long period of time. Liu et al [13] develop a reliability model of a load-sharing MEMS with three micro-engines subject to continuous degradation processes under a constant load or a cumulative load In their model, degradation is the dominant failure type, while shocks only cause degradation increases and cannot lead to hard failure. Che et al [4] develop a reliability model of a load-sharing system with dependent degradation process and random shocks In their model, the shock effects are independent of workload, which may not be applicable in all situations. Due to load-sharing characteristics and DWSEs, the degradation rate and shock effects to soft and hard failures are all dependent on the number of failed components.

System specifications
Failure modeling for a component with DWSEs
Modeling of shocks considering DWSEs
Modeling of soft and hard failures of a surviving component
Reliability modeling for a load-sharing system
Case study
Sensitive analysis
Conclusion
Full Text
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