Skip to main content
Log in

Reliability Estimation Based on System Data with an Unknown Load Share Rule

  • Published:
Lifetime Data Analysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We consider a multicomponent load-sharing system in which the failure rate of a given component depends on the set of working components at any given time. Such systems can arise in software reliability models and in multivariate failure-time models in biostatistics, for example. A load-share rule dictates how stress or load is redistributed to the surviving components after a component fails within the system. In this paper, we assume the load share rule is unknown and derive methods for statistical inference on load-share parameters based on maximum likelihood. Components with (individual) constant failure rates are observed in two environments: (1) the system load is distributed evenly among the working components, and (2) we assume only the load for each working component increases when other components in the system fail. Tests for these special load-share models are investigated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Z. Birnbaum and S. Saunders, “A statistical model for life-length of materials,” J. Am. Stat. Assoc. vol. 53 pp. 151–160, 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Coleman, “Time dependence of mechanical breakdown in bundles of fibers, i. Constant total load,” J. Appl. Phys. vol. 28 pp. 1058–1064, 1957a.

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Coleman, “Time dependence of mechanical breakdown in bundles of fibers, ii. The infinite ideal bundle under linearly increasing loads,” J. Appl. Phys. vol. 28 pp. 1065–1067, 1957b.

    Google Scholar 

  • D. R. Cox, Prediction Intervals and Empirical Bayes Confidence Intervals, Academic Press: Cambridge, UK, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • H. E. Daniels, “The statistical theory of the strength of bundles of threads,” Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A vol. 183 pp. 405–435, 1945.

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Glanz and E. Lipton, “The height of ambition: In the epic story of how the world trade towers rose, their fall was foretold,” NY Times Mag. vol. 8, (September) pp. 32–63, 2002.

  • D. G. Harlow and S. L. Phoenix, “The chain-of-bundles probability model for the strength of fibrous materials 1: Analysis and conjectures,” J. Compos. Mater. vol. 12 pp. 195–214, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • D. G. Harlow and S. L. Phoenix, “Probability distributions for the strength of fibrous materials under local load sharing 1: Two-level failure and edge effects,” Adv. Appl. Prob. vol. 14 pp. 68–94, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Hollander and E. A. Pena, “Dynamic reliability models with conditional proportional hazards,” Lifetime Data Anal. vol. 1 pp. 377–401, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Lee, S. Durham, and J. Lynch, “On the calculation of the reliability of general load sharing systems,” J. Appl. Prob. vol. 32 pp. 777–792, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Liu, “Reliability of a load-sharing k-out-of-n: G system: Non-iid components with arbitrary distributions,” IEEE Trans. Reliab. vol. 47(3) pp. 279–284, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Q. Meeker and L. A. Escobar, Statistical Methods for Reliability Data, John Wiley: New York, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • J. M. Ortega and C. R. Rheinbold, Iterative Solution of Nonlinear Equation in Several Variables, Academic Press: New York, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Phoenix, “The asymptotic time to failure of a mechanical system of parallel members,” SIAM J. Appl. Math. vol. 34 pp. 227–246, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • B. W. Rosen, “Tensile failure of fibrous composites,” AIAA J. vol. 2 pp. 1985–1991, 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  • S. M. Ross, “A model in which component failure rates depend on the working set,” Naval Res. Logist. Q. vol. 31 pp. 297–300, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Z. Schechner, “A load-sharing model: The linear breakdown rule,” Naval Res. Logist. Q. vol. 31 pp. 137–144, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • F. T. Wright, T. Robertson, and R. L. Dykstra, Order Restricted Statistical Inference, Wiley: New York, USA, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, H., Kvam, P.H. Reliability Estimation Based on System Data with an Unknown Load Share Rule. Lifetime Data Anal 10, 83–94 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:LIDA.0000019257.74138.b6

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:LIDA.0000019257.74138.b6

Navigation