Failure time distributions for complex equipment

Collins, David H.; Warr, Richard L.

doi:10.1002/qre.2387

Failure time distributions for complex equipment

Journal Article · 09 September 2018 · Quality and Reliability Engineering International

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/qre.2387· OSTI ID:1479952

^[1]; Warr, Richard L. ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The exponential distribution is inadequate as a failure time model for most components; however, under certain conditions (in particular, that component failure rates are small and mutually independent, and failed components are immediately replaced or perfectly repaired), it is applicable to complex repairable systems with large numbers of components in series, regardless of component distributions, as shown by Drenick in 1960. This result implies that system behavior may become simpler as more components are added. We review necessary conditions for the result and present some simulation studies to assess how well it holds in systems with finite numbers of components. Lastly, we also note that Drenick's result is analogous to similar results in other systems disciplines, again resulting in simpler behavior as the number of entities in the system increases.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

OSTI ID:: 1479952

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--18-22407

Journal Information:: Quality and Reliability Engineering International, Journal Name: Quality and Reliability Engineering International Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 35; ISSN 0748-8017

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Drenick’s theorem
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