Lifetime and reliability estimation of repairable redundant system subject to periodic alternation

Lifetime distribution and reliability are analyzed for redundant systems consisting of units that alternate between operating and standby states periodically to inspect and detect failures of standby units. It is assumed that when a unit fails, a minimal repair with negligible repair time is performed. A cumulative exposure model is used to describe the failure time distribution. The method of maximum likelihood is used to estimate the parameters, and specific formulas for Weibull model are obtained. A simulation model is then developed to assess the system reliability based on the estimated lifetime distribution and the method is applied to a high pressure pump system. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.