Some Recent Developments in Systems Reliability.

Abstract

System reliability analysis calculates the probability of success for a system, based on the component reliabilities and the configuration. First, a logic function is obtained in the form of either a tree, chart, graph, diagram or list of paths. From this logic function a probability formula is derived. The classical or conventional method of generating a formula is inclusion-exclusion (IE). With the past decade there have been some significant new developments that resulted in ways to estimate the system reliability that are more efficient than IE. Two of these techniques are discussed in this paper; sum of disjoint products (SDP), and the topological reliability (TR) of Satyanarayana and Prabhaker (S&P). This paper covers the theory and procedures of both techniques, shows their interrelationships with IE, and discusses complexity considerations and computer time needed for preparation of a system formula. The discussion on TR also includes advanced applications such as overall reliability and k-terminal reliability, classes of problems that can conveniently be solved by TR with minor modification of the logic. Originator key words include: System reliability; inclusion-exclusion; sum of disjoint products; topological reliability; m-out-of-n; source-to-multiple terminal reliability. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADA150661

Entities

People

  • M. O. Locks

Organizations

  • Oklahoma State University–Stillwater

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Business Administration
  • Classification
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Data Processing
  • Elements
  • Exponential Functions
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Inclusions
  • Information Systems
  • Logic
  • Probability
  • Reliability
  • Security
  • Terminals
  • Trees (Data Structures)

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Graph Algorithms and Convex Optimization.
  • Software Engineering