A failure rate interaction model for two-component systems based on copula function

Abstract

Failure rate estimation of a component or a system plays an important role for reliability analysis and maintenance decision-making. In some systems, failure mechanisms from different components interact with each other, and the interaction may accelerate the failure procedure of a certain component. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the correlation of failures from different components for obtaining an accurate reliability prediction. In this article, a failure rate interaction model for two components based on copula function is proposed. In this model, the failure correlation of two components in the same system is estimated using copula function. Then, the joint failure probability distribution function of the two components and the conditional failure probability distribution of failures for each component are determined. Finally, the failure rate is calculated considering the correlation of failures between components, and the failure rate estimation of the oil pump and oil seal is presented and discussed to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.