8.7 Multi‐Phase System with Multiple FDEP Groups
This section presents a continuous time Markov chain (CTMC)‐based method for modeling competing failure propagation and isolation effects in reliability analysis of PMSs with multiple FDEP groups [18]. The exponential ttf distribution is assumed for system components. The LF, PFGE, PFSE of the same component are s‐independent.
A trigger component failure in one phase, if occurring first, only makes dependent components belonging to the same FDEP group inaccessible in that phase; these dependent components are still available to use in other phases if they are accessible directly by the system function without involving the trigger component in those phases. Both PFGEs and PFSEs from the dependent component can be isolated by the trigger failure. An isolated PFGE or PFSE only affects the component itself. An isolated PFGE or PFSE in a previous phase may still propagate to other components in a later phase that does not...