Reliability Models for Dependent Elements Using a Method of Correlations

This paper was motivated by an interest in finding a way to determine the reliability of a system of interacting components in which the interaction effects can be specified by a set of parameters. Models are developed in which the basic assumption is that component interaction generate a linear statistical correlations among the conditions of groups of components. Formulas are then developed for the joint reliability of series and parallel systems in which the effects on system reliability are represented by these correlations.