Title: Improving system reliability and the probability of selecting reliable components by interpreting algebraic inequalities

Authors: Michael T. Todinov

Addresses: School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, Wheately, OX33-1HX, UK

Abstract: New results related to the reliability of common systems with interchangeable redundancies at a component level have been obtained by deriving and interpreting a new algebraic inequality. It is shown that for systems with interchangeable redundant components, the system reliability can be increased by asymmetrical arrangement of the redundant components. Maximum system reliability is obtained by arranging the main components in ascending order of their probabilities of failure while the redundant components are arranged in descending order of their probabilities of failure. For the inequality of the additive ratios, a novel probabilistic interpretation is provided which resulted in a powerful strategy for improving the probability of an event occurring with mutually exclusive events. Using this result, a counter-intuitive strategy has been developed for improving the probability of purchasing a reliable product from a set of suppliers.

Keywords: dual active redundancy; inequality of the additive ratios; interpretation; additive quantities; system reliability; mutually exclusive events.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2023.133429

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2023 Vol.43 No.4, pp.294 - 301

Received: 07 Apr 2022
Received in revised form: 11 Sep 2022
Accepted: 29 Sep 2022
Published online: 15 Sep 2023 *

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