Using Spice Circuit Simulation Program in Reliability Analysis ofRedundant Systems with Non‐Repairable Units and Common‐CauseFailures

Abstract

The effectiveness of Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) in calculating probabilities, reliability, steady-state availability and mean-time to failure of redundant systems with non-repairable units and common-cause failures described by Markov models is demonstrated. General equations and procedure for constructing the equivalent circuit forNparallel units are presented. Results obtained, forN=1,2,3, using SPICE are compared with previously published results obtained using the Laplace transform method. Full SPICE listings are included.