Advances in Decision Sciences
Volume 2007 (2007), Article ID 43565, 18 pages
doi:10.1155/2007/43565
Reliability of modules with load-sharing components
Mark Bebbington1
, Chin-Diew Lai1
and Ričardas Zitikis3
1Institute of Information Sciences and Technology, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
3Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London N6A 5B7, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
To increase the reliability of modules, and thus of systems assembled from them, they are frequently constructed using parallel load-sharing components. Examples include jet engines, electrical power networks, and telecommunications networks. We consider the situation when the components operate independently, but when any one of them fails, the load of the failed component is instantaneously distributed among the working components. The entire module fails when the last working component fails. We analyze the survival probability and residual life expectancy of such modules. An obvious application is to the case of the 1998 Auckland power supply failure in New Zealand.