ABSTRACT
In reliability engineering, load–sharing is typically associated with a system in parallel configuration. Examples include bridge support structures, electric power supply systems, multiprocessor computing systems, etc. We consider a reliability maximization problem for a high–voltage commutation device, wherein the total voltage across the device is shared by the components in series configuration. Here, the increase of the number of load–sharing components increases component–level reliability (as the voltage load per component reduces) but may decrease system–level reliability (due to the increased number of components in series). We review optimal solutions for the proportional hazard and accelerated life models with the underlying exponential & Weibull distributions and elaborate on the log–linear, power, and Eyring laws used in the life–load models.
