Probability and Random Processes

(15B11MA301)

Lecture-26
(Content Covered: Parallel-series and Series-Parallel Configuration)

Department of Mathematics
Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida
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Contents
• Parallel-Series Configuration
• Series-Parallel Configuration
• Solved Examples
• Practice Questions
• References

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Parallel-Series Configuration
• A system in which m subsystems are connected in series where each
subsystem has n components connected in parallel.
• Consider the figure below, where 3 subsystems are connected in series and
each subsystem comprise of 2 components in parallel.

• The parallel series configuration is also termed as low-level redundancy.

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• If R is the reliability of the individual component, the reliability of each of
the subsystems (comprising of n components in parallel) is given by

= (1 − 1 − 𝑅 𝑛 ) (In fig. n =2)

• Since m subsystems are connected in series (in fig. m=3), the system
reliability for low level redundancy is given by
𝑛 𝑚
𝑅𝐿𝑂𝑊 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅

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Series-Parallel Configuration
• A system in which m subsystems are connected in parallel where each
subsystem has n components connected in series.
• Consider the figure below, where 3 subsystems are connected in parallel
and each subsystem comprise of 2 components in series.

• The series parallel configuration is also termed as high-level redundancy.

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• If R is the reliability of the individual component, the reliability of each of
the subsystems (comprising of n components in series) is given by
𝑛
= 𝑅 (In fig. n =2)

• Since m subsystems are connected in parallel (in fig. m=3), the system
reliability for high level redundancy is given by

𝑅𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ = 1 − 1 − 𝑅𝑛 𝑚

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Example Six identical components with constant failure rates are connected in (a) high level
redundancy with 3 components in each subsystem (b) low level redundancy with 2 components in
each subsystem. Determine the component MTTF in each case, necessary to provide a system
reliability of 0.90 after 100 hours of operation.
Solution: Let 𝜆 be the constant failure rate of each component. Then, 𝑅 = 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡 , for each component.
For high level redundancy,
3 2
𝑅𝑠 𝑡 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅 𝑡
−3𝜆𝑡 2
=1− 1−ⅇ

1 300
Therefore, MTTF of each component = = = 789.2 hours.
𝜆 0.38013

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For low level redundancy
2 3
𝑅𝑠 𝑡 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅 𝑡
3
−𝜆𝑡 2
= 1− 1−ⅇ
3
−100𝜆 2
𝑅𝑠 100 = 1 − 1 − ⅇ = 0 ⋅ 90
−100𝜆 2
Therefore, 1 − 1 − ⅇ = 0 ⋅ 96549
−100𝜆 2
1−ⅇ = 0.03451
ⅇ−100𝜆 = 0 ⋅ 81423
100𝜆 = 0 ⋅ 20551
1 100
Therefore, MTTF of each component = = = 486.6 hours.
𝜆 0.20551

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Example A signal processor has a reliability of 0.90. Because of the lower reliability a
redundant signal processor is. to be added. However, a signal splitter must be added before
the processors and a comparator must be added after the signal processors. Each of the
new components has a reliability of 0.95. Does adding a redundant signal processor
increase the system reliability?

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Solution: 𝑅1 = 𝑅 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 = 𝑅 𝑆1 ⋅ 𝑅 𝑃1 ⋅ 𝑅 𝐶1
= 0 ⋅ 95 × 0 ⋅ 90 × 0 ⋅ 95
= 0.81225
𝑅2 = 𝑅 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 = 𝑅 𝑆2 ⋅ 𝑅 𝑃2 ⋅ 𝑅 𝐶2
3
= 0 ⋅ 95
= 0.857375
R(system) =1 − 1 − 𝑅1 1 − 𝑅2
= 1 − 0.0268 = 0 ⋅ 9732
The addition of a redundant signal processor increases the reliability.

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Example : Evaluate the reliability of the system composed of 8 components for which the
reliability block diagram is shown in figure for a mission of 100 hours. Assume that all
components are independent and the reliability of each component is given for a mission
of 100 hours as follows: R1 = 0.80, R2 = 0.75, R3 = 0.50, R4 = 0.65, R5 = 0.76, R6 =
0.60, R7 = 0.95, R8 = 0.90, where Ri denotes the reliability of the component i, (i = 1, 2, 3,
…,8).

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Solution: The components of the given system are connected in both series and parallel configuration. So it
is a mixed system. To evaluate the reliability of this mixed system, we have to break the system into
subsystems such that all components of a subsystem are either in series or in parallel. This can be done as
follows:

• Reduction I: Combine the components 2, 3, 4 in parallel configuration to form an equivalent component 9

• Reduction II: Combine the components 5, 6 in parallel configuration to form an equivalent component 10
• Reduction III: Combine the components 1, 9, 10 in series configuration to form an equivalent component 11
• Reduction IV: Combine the components 7, 8 in series configuration to form an equivalent component 12
• Reduction V: Finally, combine the components 11 and 12 in parallel configuration to form an equivalent
component 13
• The component 13 represents the complete system.

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The component 13 represents the complete system.

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We are given that
R1 = 0.80, R2 = 0.75, R3 = 0.50, R4 = 0.65, R5 = 0.76, R6 = 0.60, R7 = 0.95, R8 = 0.90
where Ri denotes the reliability of the given component i, (i = 1, 2, 3,…, 8).
Similarly, if R9 to R13 denote the reliabilities of the equivalent components 9 to 13, then using results of
reliabilities, we have :
• 𝑅9 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅2 1 − 𝑅3 1 − 𝑅4 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
= 1 − 1 − 0 ⋅ 75 1 − 0 ⋅ 50 1 − 0 ⋅ 65 = 0.9562
• 𝑅10 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅5 1 − 𝑅6 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
= 1 − 1 − 0 ⋅ 76 1 − 0 ⋅ 60 = 0.904
• 𝑅11 = 𝑅1 ⋅ 𝑅9 ⋅ 𝑅10 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
= 0.80 0.9562 0.904 = 0.6915
• 𝑅12 = 𝑅7 ⋅ 𝑅8 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
= 0.95 0.90 = 0.855
• 𝑅13 = 1 − 1 − 𝑅11 1 − 𝑅12 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
= 1 − 1 − 0.6915 1 − 0 ⋅ 855 = 0.9533
Hence, the reliability of given system is 0.9533.
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Practice Questions

1. Evaluate the reliability of the system for which the reliability block diagram is shown in
figure, for a mission of 500 hours. Assume that all components are independent. The
reliability of each component is given below for a mission of 500 hours: R1 = 0.40, R2 =
0.30, R3 = 0.60, R4 = 0.80, R5 = 0.85, R6 = 0.60, R7 = 0.70, R8 = 0.95, R9 = 0.96.

(Ans. 0.7568032)

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References
1. Veerarajan, T., Probability, Statistics and Random Processes, 3rd Ed. Tata McGraw-
Hill, 2008.
2. Ghahramani, S., Fundamentals of Probability with Stochastic Processes, Pearson,
2005.
3. Papoulis, A. and Pillai, S.U., Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic
Processes, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2002.
4. Miller, S., Childers, D., Probability and Random Processes, Academic Press, 2012.
5. http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/35168/1/Unit-14.pdf

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