Asymptotic approach to reliability evaluation of large multi-state systems with application to piping transportation

The essentials of multi-state system reliability analysis and an asymptotic approach to system reliability evaluation are introduced. The classes of limit reliability functions for multi-state series, parallel, series-parallel and parallel-series systems composed of different components are fixed. Moreover, auxiliary theorems useful in reliability evaluation of real technical large systems are presented. These are applied to reliability evaluation of an oil transportation system. Approximate mean values and standard deviations of this system lifetimes in the state subsets and in particular states are determined. This system risk function and the moment when the risk exceeds an admissible level are evaluated as well. The accuracy of the approximation is illustrated numerically and graphically. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.