Load‐share reliability models with the piecewise constant load

In this paper, we study methods for reliability analysis of the load‐share models. In load‐share systems, component or system failure rates depend on the working state of the other components in the system or on changeable conditions of system functioning. A special type of load, namely the piecewise constant load is investigated. The main assumption used in the paper is the so‐called 'condition of the residual lifetime conservation' of the system, which is equivalent to the condition of continuity of the reliability (survivor) function. Rather simple recurrent expressions are obtained for computing reliability measures. Various numerical examples illustrate the proposed models.