Analysis of a system with components having interdependent reliability characteristics

It is shown that each of three approaches: 1. Markov analysis, 2. Joint-density-function, 3. Compound events, when applied to a system involving interdependent hazard functions, leads to the same expression for reliability of the system studied. Results of stochastic simulation are compared with results of numeric integration of the Markov rate equations. This is carried out for the system which was analyzed mathematically as well as for a system involving hazard functions linear with time. A generalized algorithm is suggested for developing transition matrices for larger, more complex systems.