Dynamic reliability models of mechanical load-sharing parallel systems considering strength degradation of components

Conventional reliability analysis of load-sharing parallel systems is mainly based on failure rate of components, in which failure dependence of components and load redistribution are also characterized by specified failure rates. However, the failure rate of mechanical components always varies with time, which is difficult to measure. Therefore, in this paper, quantitative dynamic reliability models of mechanical load-sharing parallel systems are developed in terms of stress parameters and strength parameters rather than failure rate of components, which consider the degradation mechanism of mechanical components. The proposed models take into account the strength degradation path dependence (SDPD) of a component, the strength degradation process dependence between different components in a system, and the random load redistribution. In addition, Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to verify the proposed models. The results show that SDPD and the load-sharing effect have considerable influences on dynamic reliability of mechanical load-sharing parallel systems.