Reliability evaluation for complex systems with load sharing and failure dependence: A case study on LTD

Many real-world systems such as multi-processor computing and power transmission systems have load sharing attribute where the whole system workload is distributed to different system elements. In these systems, when one element fails, other remaining elements would take over the workload which will change their failure behavior and cause a dynamic dependence of failure, thus a reliability evaluation work will be necessary for a high mission success probability of these systems. In this paper, the reliability evaluation problem of Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) system with typical attribute of load sharing and failure dependence is discussed. Firstly, the LTD system with reliability concerns is introduced. Then, the load sharing and failure dependence properties are specified with mathematic formulations. Finally, the key factors of initial work coefficient, load distribution strategy and failure model in the LTD development stage are analyzed from the reliability perspective. As a preliminary exploration, the result would provide a guidance for better industrial application.