~)

Pergamon

Microelectron. Reliab., Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 869-871, 1997

Copyright 1997 ElsevierScienceLtd
Printed in Great Britain.All rights reserved
0026-2714/97 $17.00+.00
PII: S0026-2714(96) 00100-X

TECHNICAL NOTE
RELIABILITY OF A DYNAMIC n-UNIT SHARED LOAD PARALLEL
SYSTEM U N D E R DIFFERENT FAILURE TIMES
S. S O M A S U N D A R A M
Department of Mathematics, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641 014, India
and
D. A U D S I N M O H A N A DHAS
Department of Mathematics and Computer Applications, P.S.G. College of Technology Coimbatore 641 004, India

(Received for publication 2 May 1996)

Abstract--A generalized formula is derived for the reliability of a dynamic parallel system of n-components
with equally shared load failing at different failure times. This formula is obtained using success modes
analysis (SMA) and the same is completely verified for exponential distribution. Copyright 1997 Elsevier
Science Ltd.

1. INTRODUCTION

- ~

Dynamic or time dependent reliability models are

more difficult to evaluate than static models. Various
approaches have been used in evaluating dynamic
models. Sandier [1] has considered the Markov
approach with respect to constant failure rate.
Reliability computations for a two-unit standby
redundant system with constant failure rate are found
in Osaki and Nakagawa [2]. R a m a n a r a y a n a n [3] has
considered the analysis of n-unit warm standby
systems with Erlang failure time. Alidrisi [4] has
discussed the reliability of a dynamic warm
standby redundant system of n-components with
imperfect switching.
In this configuration, the parallel subsystems
equally share the load and as a subsystem fails, the
surviving subsystems must sustain an increased load.
Thus as successive subsystems fail, the failure rate of
the surviving components increases rapidly.
Assuming that when failure occurs the survivor then
follows p.d.f, ql(t) and that this p.d.f, does not depend
on the interval of elapsed time. We apply success
modes analysis for successive subsystems failing at
different times. For this situation with n-subsystems,
the total possible number of modes of survival is
n(n + 1)/2. We shall also consider the probability of
each mode separately then add probabilities since the
events represented are mutually exclusive.
R a m a k u m a r [51 has discussed the parallel structure
of a system. A set of n-components is said to be in
parallel from a reliability point of view if the system can
succeed when at least one component succeeds. The
block diagram of such a system is shown in Fig. (1).
869

Cause ~'r

Unit 1

Unit 2

Effect

Unitn
Fig. 1. Parallel structure.
2. NOTATION

qi(t) p.d.f, for time to failure under 1/i load

),i failure rate of 1/i load
Rso(t) reliability of the system with no failed components
while in operating condition
Rsr(t) reliability of the system with r failed components
while in operating condition where (1 ~<r ~<n - l)
Rq,(t) reliability of the system under 1/i load
Rs(t) reliability of the whole system with n-components
3. THE

MODEL

The reliability of the time dependent parallel system

of n-components with equally shared load failing
at different times is investigated using success
modes analysis. Let El, Ez . . . . . E, be the events that
are components and are functioning in operation
mode. Let Tt, ?'2. . . . . 7", be the random variables
representing the life of n-components in operation

870

Technical Note

mode. Let t~ < t 2 < . . . . . < t, be different failure

times of each component.
The reliability of the system with n-components will
be c o m p u t e d for the special case n = 2, 3, 4 and 5,
then Rs(t ) for the general system will be deduced and
later verified. K a p u r and L a m b e r s o n [6] have
considered the reliability of the two c o m p o n e n t
parallel subsystems with equally shared load.

Case 2
F o r four com ponents i.e. n = 4, as before,
Rs(t ) = Rso(t ) + 4Rs,(t) - 3Rs2(t ) + 2Rs3(t)
where
Rso(t ) = [Rq4(t)] 4,

Case 1
Rs'(t)

= fl q4(tt)[Rq'(tl)]3[Rq3(t - t013 d t ,

/'/=2.

Rs(t ) = P r
[Mode 1 wMode
2wMode
3], i.e.
Rs(t) = P r [ M o d e 1] + Pr [ M o d e 2] + Pr [ M o d e 3]
i.e. Rs(t) = Pr [ M o d e 1] + 2 Pr [ M o d e 2]. Since the
com ponents are i.i.d, and the modes are mutually
exclusive events, i.e. Rs(t) = Rso(t) + 2Rs~(t) where

q4(tl)q,(te)[Rq4(t2)] 2

Rs2(t ) =
1

x [Rq2(t - t2)] 2 dt 2 dtl,

Rs3(t ) =

Rso(t ) = [Rq:(t)]2:

fo;:J:

q,(tl)q4(t2)q,(t3)

x R~4(t3)Rqt(t - t3) dt 3 dt 2 d t v
Rs~(t)

= fl q2(tl)R~(tORql(t - G) dt~

R.~(t)=ff q2(u)du and

Rq~(t)= ff~q~(u)du.

In the case of constant failure rates:

Rs(t ) = e-4~,z

+ 424 e-aa~'Fi424L 1
In the case of constant failure rates i.e. for exponential
distribution we obtain q~(t)= )~ e-.1", Rq,(t)= e -.1'~
and i = 1, 2.
Rs(t) = e_2.12t + 2 e _ Z : ~

+ 322 e - 2.1~t[i4241

e-(4.14-2.12}t

e-(2.12-.1t)t~

L(2)-~ - a,)

(22~-~)j

)-4(4)-4 -- 2).2)

e ,4.14 ,.1,,z]

3).3)

(42~ ~ 3).3~ J '

1
- 2)-2)(324 - 222)
e - {3a4- 2.12)t ]
/.4(3L4 -- 2).2)J

Case 2
F o r three com p o n e n t s i.e. n = 3, as in case (1)

+ 2).~ e - .1~'F
I-(424 - 21)(324 - )-1)(224 - )-t)
e

Rs(t ) = Rso(t ) + 3Rs~(t) + 2Rs2(t)

(4.t4

2!22(424

where

.11)
-

e-(3.14-.1t)

)-1)

e - (2.14 - .1)t

)-2(3).4

'~1)

Rso(t) = [Rq3(t)'] 3,

Case 4
Rs'(t)

= fl q3(tl)[Rq~(tl)]Z[Rq~(t - t012 d q ,
qa(tl)q3(t2)Rq~(t2)Rql(t - t2) dt2 dtl.

Rs~(t) =

F o r five c o m p o n e n t s i.e. n = 5,
Rs(t ) = Rso(t ) + 5Rs:(t) + 4Rs~(t) + 3Rs~(t) + 2Rs,(t)

Rs(t) = [Rq,(t)] 5,

In the case of constant failure rates i.e. for exponential

distribution

Rs~(t)

= f l qs(tl)[R~'(tl)]4[Rq'(t - tl)]4 dtl,

Rs(t) = e - 3.1~t
+ 3).3 e_2.12tF -

L(3)-3

1
-

e -'3a~-2.1~,']

2)-2) ~

Rs~(t) =

fo::

qs(tl)qs(t2)[Rq~(t2)] 3

--~)J

x [R~3(t - tz)] 3 dt 2 d t ,
+ 2)-3 e_.1~ [

k(322 - kl)(2k~ - )-I)

e-(3k3-.1Dt

+ )-~0)-~ - ).0

e-(2.13-.1t)t 1

).~-~-T~)j

Rs~(t) =

f o r : f1:

qs(tx)qs(t2)qs(ts
2

,[R

x [Rq2(t - t3)] 2 dt 3 dt2 dtt,

~(t3)]:

Technical Note

L''

Rs,(t ) =

871

where(l<r~<n-1).
In the case of constant failure rates, in general,

qs(tOqs(t2)q5(t3)qs(t4)

n-I

x Rq,(t4)Rq,(t - t4) dr4 dt3 dt2 dt,.

In the case of constant failure rates for n = 5 we
have

(n + 1 -- r)2,~ e -("-r)~ . . . .

r=l

Rs(t ) = e - S ~ , + 525 e-4~.~' V

Rs(t) = e -"z"' + ~

L(5& 424)

((n - p + 1)2, - (n - r)2,_,)

[,/2]

+Y

e [5).5 _ 4;ta)t1

p=l

4).,) /J

i525-

( _ 1).+p- 1 e-[(n-p+ 1)z.-(.-r)a.- rl,

X

+ 422 e-323t[___
L(525 - 323)(425 - M3)
e -- (525

e - (425 - 3).3)'

-- 3-~3)t

l
/

F
2s(425 -- 323)

(r - p)!2~-l[(n - p + 1)2. - (n - r)2._,]

p = [r/21 + 1

25(525 ~ 3 ) J

( _ 1),+p- t e - [ i , - p + l)~.-(.-,)a.-.l,

+ 323 e 2;.~,
1
(525 - 222)(425 - 222)(325 - 222)
e

( 3 2 5 - 2221/

e-(425-

where [r/2] is the integral part of r/2.

2.~),

- 2!25z(32s - 2).2) + 22(425 - 222)

e-(525-

222)t

4. C O N C L U S I O N

2!22(52~ ~ 2)~2)j + 22~ e - ; " '

(5).5 - 20(425 - )~1)(3~.5 - ).,)(225 - 2,)

e-(22~ ao,

e (325-21),

3!253(22.s - ) ] i i + 2[23(32, - 20

e2(4;5-&)'

e-(5;~5 - &)t 1

In this paper an attempt has been m a d e to c o m p u t e

the system reliability of a dynamic shared load parallel
system of n - c o m p o n e n t s under different failure times.
A generalized formula for the system reliability has
been investigated by analysing the system success
nodes. The obtained formula is then verified for the
special case of parallel system with constant failure
rates.

2!).35(4).5 -- 2 0 -~ 3!23(5)o--~~20j'
In general for any n,

REFERENCES

n-1

Rs(t)=

~ (n+ 1-r)Rs.(t)+Rso(t

r=l

where
Rso(t) = [Rq.(t)]',
Rs,(t)

q,(t)[Rq,(tl)]"-l[Rq,_l(t - tt)] "-1 dtl,

Rsr(t) =

fo f,
, ....

q,(tO . . . . . q,(t,)

r-I

x [Rq.(t,)]"-'
x [Rq. r(t -- t,)] n-r dt . . . . . . dt 2 dt,

1. Sandler, G. H., System Reliability Engineering. PrenticeHall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1963.
2. Osaki, S. and Nakagawa, T., On a two-unit standby
redundant system with standby failure. Ops Res., 1971, 19,
510-523.
3. Ramanarayanan, R., n-unit warm standby system with
Erlang failure and general repair and its dual. IEEE Trans.
Reliab, 1978, R-28, 173-174.
4. Alidrisi, M. M., The Reliability of a Dynamic warm
standby redundant system of n-components with
imperfect switching. Microelectron. Reliab., 1992, 32(6),
851-859.
5. Ramakumar, R., Engineering Reliability Fundamentals and
Applications. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1993.
6. Kapur, K. C. and Lamberson, L. R., Reliability in
Engineering Design, Wiley, New York, 1977.