Reliability analysis of k-out-of-n: G repairable systems considering common cause failure and multi-level maintenance strategy

Abstract

A common cause failure occurs when two or more elements fail due to a shared cause. The system with such failure often needs different repairmen and a multi-level maintenance strategy. The paper studies the reliability of k-out-of-n: G repairable systems considering common cause failure and multi-level maintenance strategy. The models with a multi-level maintenance strategy are established by considering the failure of all and partial components due to common cause failure. The reliability indices of the systems, such as availability and the mean time to first failure, are derived. An optimization maintenance model is established by minimizing the cost, and a three-level maintenance strategy is determined. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the application. The results show that the multi-level maintenance strategy improves the system reliability and reduces the maintenance costs of systems with common cause failure.