The Reliability of Repairable Complex Systems Part B: The Dissimilar Machine Case

Abstract

A generalization of the reliability model given in Part A of this reliability study is made. The failure and repair rates are assumed to be exponential as in Part A, but the model equations are changed so that the following ramifications are possible. 1) The label case: it is necessary to know which of the similar machines are broken down in order to decide if a system failure has occurred. 2) The parameter case: the values of the failure and repair rates are not the same on each machine. 3) The type of failure case: the system goes from state i to i + j after a failure, j ≧ 1, and to i - k after a repair, k ≧ 1, whereas in Part A j = k = 1 only. A procedure for finding dissimilar machine model equations with time delays before failure and time restoration constraints after repair are given.