Reliability analysis of multi-state k-out-of-n: G system with common bus performance sharing

In this paper, a multi-state k-out-of-n: G system with common bus performance sharing is proposed, in which k-out-of-n: G structure is considered, and the system state is divided into multiple levels for the first time. Such a system consists of a common bus and n multi-state units, where each unit has several performance levels to satisfy its individual random demands. If one unit has surplus performance, the performance surplus can be transmitted to other units which are experiencing performance deficiency via the common bus. The state of the system is divided into multiple levels according to the number of the units whose demands are satisfied. An algorithm based on the universal generating function (UGF) technique and the stochastic process method is proposed to evaluate the system reliability. Analytical and numerical examples are presented for demonstrating the application of the proposed method finally.