Reliability modeling and analysis for systems governed by multiple competing failures processes

Abstract

Due to that the operating environment is becoming more and more complex and rigorous, the multiple competing failure modes for the reliability system is much commonly seen. In order to improve the system performance, a sensor-based degradation calibration policy (SBDC policy) is presented in this paper. The model considers the competing failure process which is described by the soft and hard failure modes. In detail, the soft failures occur when the degradation of the system exceeds the failure threshold, and the hard failures are caused by the same shock process. We use the Wiener process model to describe the soft failure and the shock process to describe the catastrophic failure. Meanwhile, in the shock process, the damage associated with the system is normal distributed which is related to the duration of the adjacent shocks. This extended model with calibrations has a good application value for the corresponding complex reliability systems which are subject to the dependent competing failure modes. By the model in this article, the system reliability and safety can be improved and the risk of the abrupt damage shall be reduced as the circumstance changes.