UNIT 16

RELIABILITY OF SERIES AND

PARALLEL SYSTEMS

Structure
16.1 Introduction 16.5 Reliability of a Parallel
System
Expected Learning Outcomes
16.6 Reliability of a Mixed System
16.2 Definition of a Simple
System 16.7 Summary
16.3 Reliability Evaluation of a 16.8 Terminal Questions
System
16.9 Solutions/Answers
16.4 Reliability of a Series System

16.1 INTRODUCTION
In Unit 15, we have defined reliability and basic reliability functions, namely,
reliability function, cumulative failure distribution function, failure density
function and hazard rate function. We have also discussed how to estimate
these functions for an observed data.
One of the main objectives of getting estimates of these functions is to get an
estimate of the reliability of the component.
We now consider how to estimate the reliability of a system. By a system, we
mean assemblages of, say, n identifiable components that perform some
function. The main objective of this unit is to discuss some techniques for
estimating the reliability of systems, with the help of the reliabilities of the
components of the system. We restrict our discussion to simple systems,
which are defined in Sec. 16.2. In Sec. 16.3, we explain what is meant by the
reliability evaluation of a system.
Techniques of reliability evaluation of a system depend upon the configuration
of its components. In practice, several types of configurations are used. But
we shall discuss the reliability evaluation techniques only for the following
configurations of components of a system:
• Series configuration

• Parallel configuration

• Mixed configuration
177
*Dr. Rajesh, School of Sciences, IGNOU, New Delhi
Block 4 Reliability Theory
• k-out-of-n configuration
• Standby configuration
• Complex configuration
The reliability evaluation of series and parallel systems is discussed in Secs.
16.4 and 16.5, respectively. In Sec. 16.6, we discuss the reliability of systems
with mixed configurations of components. In Unit 17, we will discuss the
reliability evaluation of k-out-of-n and standby configurations. The reliability
evaluation of complex configurations is discussed in Unit 18.

Expected Learning Outcomes

After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 define a system, a simple system and reliability of the system; and
 evaluate the reliability of a system when its components are in series, in
parallel and in mixed configurations.

16.2 DEFINITION OF A SIMPLE SYSTEM

The definition of a simple system involves the concept of series and parallel
configurations. So, to understand it better, you should first learn the definitions
of series and parallel configurations. These are given below.
Series Configuration
Suppose a system has n components. From a reliability point of view, the
components of a system are said to be in series configuration if they are
connected in such a way that
(i) for the successful operation of the system, all n components must
perform their intended function, and
(ii) only one needs to fail for system failure.
The string of lights (bulbs or LEDs) used in festivals and weddings is a good
example of a series system. The system performs successfully only when all
bulbs/LEDs are working and only one of them needs to fail for the system to
fail.
The reliability block diagram for logical connectivity of a series configuration
generally looks as shown in Fig. 16.1, where each of the n components is
illustrated by a block.

Fig. 16.1: Series configuration for n components.

In reliability literature, the logical connectivity of n components, namely, 1, 2,

…, n, in series configuration is also illustrated by a reliability graph as shown in
Fig. 16.2.

178 Fig. 16.2: Series configuration for n components.

Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
Parallel Configuration
Let a system has n components. From a reliability point of view, the
components of a system are said to be in parallel configuration if they are
connected in such a way that
(i) only one component needs to work for the successful operation of the
system, and
(ii) all components must fail for the system failure.
The phone line is a good example of a parallel system.
The reliability block diagram for logical connectivity of the parallel configuration
generally looks as shown in Fig. 16.3.

Fig. 16.3: Parallel configuration for n components.

In reliability literature, the logical connectivity of n components, namely, 1, 2,

…, n in parallel configuration is also illustrated by a reliability graph as shown
in Fig. 16.4.

Fig. 16.4: Parallel configuration for n components.

In this unit, we shall use reliability block diagrams for series and parallel
configurations.
Let us now define a simple system.
Simple System
A system is said to be simple if either its components are connected in
parallel, in series or in a combination of both. In other words, a system is said
to be simple if its reliability block diagram can be reduced into subsystems
having independent components connected either in parallel or in series.
179
Block 4 Reliability Theory

16.3 RELIABILITY EVALUATION OF A SYSTEM

In reliability theory,

A system is an assemblage of, say, n identifiable components that

perform some function.

The individual components are known as elementary components. The

reliability of a system depends on the reliability of elementary components. To
evaluate the reliability of a system, we have to apply the rules of probability
theory such as the addition rule, multiplication rule, conditional probability and
independence of events or their combination. You are familiar with these rules
as all these have been discussed in detail in Unit 1 of MST-012. The choice of
rules among these for a given situation depends on the logical connectivity of
the elementary components or subsystems made up of elementary
components in the system. In general, we follow the steps given below to
evaluate the reliability of a system:

Step 1: We identify the elementary components or subsystems, which

constitute the given system such that either their individual reliabilities
are given or can be estimated. Let us call them ‘units’ comprising the
system.

Step 2: We evaluate the reliabilities of those units whose reliabilities are not
directly given to us.

Step 3: We draw a reliability block diagram of the system to represent the

logical connectivity of the units (i.e., elementary components and
subsystems).

Step 4: We determine the constraints that should be fulfilled for the successful
operation of the system. For example, do we need the successful
operation of all units for the successful operation of the system? Is the
successful operation of only one of them enough or some other
combination of components needs to operate successfully?

Step 5: We apply the rules of probability theory such as the addition rule,
multiplication rule, conditional probability and independence of events
or their combination to evaluate the reliability of the system.

Let us explain the 5 steps given above with the help of a reliability block
diagram shown in Fig. 16.5. The number written inside each block indicates
the numbering of the component and the number written at the top of each
block represents the reliability of the corresponding component.

Fig. 16.5: A reliability block diagram.

180
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
Step 1: There are 5 elementary components in the system shown in
Fig. 16.5, and these are numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Two sub-systems constitute the system, as explained below:
(i) Elementary components 1, 2 and 3 are in a series configuration
and form a subsystem. Let us call it unit 1 and denote it by U1.
(ii) Elementary components 4 and 5 are also in a series
configuration and form another subsystem. Let us call it unit 2
and denote it by U2.
Step 2: To evaluate the reliability of the system, we first evaluate the
reliabilities of the units U1 and U2. We discuss the methods of
evaluating reliabilities in Secs. 16.4 to 16.6.
Step 3: The reliability block diagram of the system is shown in Fig. 16.5.
Step 4: The constraints that should be fulfilled for the successful operation of
the system are listed below:
(i) For the successful operation of unit U1, all components (1, 2 and
3) must work successfully as they are in a series configuration.
(ii) For the successful operation of unit U2, both components 4 and 5
must work successfully as they are also in a series configuration.
(iii) For the successful operation of the system, either unit U1 or unit
U2 or both should work successfully as these units are arranged
in a parallel configuration.
Step 5: The reliability of the system is evaluated by calculating the probability
of the event (U1 ∪ U2 ) using the addition law of probability theory.
You have learnt these calculations in Unit 1 of MST-012.
In Secs. 16.4 to 16.6 and in Units 15 and 16, we discuss the reliability
evaluation of systems with different configurations of elementary components.
We begin by explaining the reliability evaluation of a series system.

16.4 RELIABILITY OF A SERIES SYSTEM

In Sec. 16.2, we have defined a series configuration of a number of
components. A series system is nothing but a system, all of whose
components are in a series configuration. A series system is made up of n
components and it is represented as shown in Fig. 16.6 for the purpose of
reliability evaluation.

Fig. 16.6: Series system.

Note that Fig. 16.6 simply shows the logical connectivity of the system. The
actual physical connectivity of the components in the system may vary. But
always remember the following two characteristics of the series system (which
have already been listed in Sec. 16.2):
(i) For the successful operation of a series system, it is necessary that all n 181
Block 4 Reliability Theory
components of the system perform their intended function successfully,
and
(ii) Only one component needs to fail for system failure.
Let us now obtain an expression for the reliability of the series system.
Let Ei be the event that component i performs its intended function
successfully, where i = 1, 2, 3,…, n. Also let Ri denote the reliability of the
component i, where i = 1, 2, 3, …, n for a mission of t units of time. If R
denotes the reliability of the series system, then, from the definitions of
reliability and series system, we have
R= P (E1 ∩ E2 ∩ E3 ∩ ... ∩ En ) … (1)

In equation (1), we take the intersection of events because reliability is a

probability and the definition of a series system implies that for the successful
operation of the system, all components must work.
If events Ei , ( i = 1,2,...,n ) are not independent, then we apply conditional
probability and get
R = P (E1 ) P (E2 E1 ) P (E3 E1E2 ) ...P (En E1E2 ...En−1 ) , … (2)

where E1E2 = E1 ∩ E2 , E1E2E3 = E1 ∩ E2 ∩ E3 ,etc.

But if events Ei , ( i = 1,2,...,n ) are independent, then we have

 P Ei E j  = P [Ei ] if events 

R = P (E1 ) P (E2 ) P (E3 ) ...P (En )     … (3)
Ei andE j are independent. 
or
n
R = ∏ Ri , for a mission of t units of time, … (4)
i =1

where Ri = P (Ei )

that is, the reliability of the series system is equal to the product of the
individual reliabilities of the components of the system.
In particular, if a series system has two components, then
R = R1R2 for a mission of t units of time

and if the series system has three components, then

R = R1R2R3 for a mission of t units of time

Let us consider some examples for evaluating the reliability of a series system.
Example 1: Evaluate the reliability of the series system having the reliability
block diagram shown in Fig. 16.7 for a mission of 500 hours, where the given
reliabilities of the components are for a mission of 500 hours. Assume that the
failure of any component does not affect the functioning of the other
components.

182 Fig. 16.7: Reliability block diagram for Example 1.

 Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
Solution: We know that the reliability of a series system is equal to the
product of the individual reliabilities of the components. Therefore, the required
reliability of the series system is given from equation (4) as
R = 0.60 × 0.75 × 0.95 × 0.80 = 0.342 for a mission of 500 hours
Note 1:
Note the answer of this example. Does it make you wonder why the reliability
of the system is less than that of the worst component? Do not worry. The
answer is correct. This problem arises due to the limitations of the series
system as
1. One of the main limitations of the series system is that the reliability of
the series system can never be better than the reliability of the worst
component in the system.
2. The second major limitation of the series system is that the reliability of
the system decreases as the number of components in the system
increases. These two limitations are illustrated in Examples 2 and 3.
Example 2: A system has three components connected in series having
reliabilities 0.40, 0.70, and 0.80, respectively, for a mission of 400 hours. What
is the percentage increase in the reliability of the system in each of the
following cases?
(i) Reliability of the first component is increased by 0.1 and that of the
second and third components remains the same.
(ii) Reliability of the second component is increased by 0.1 and that of the
first and third components remains the same.
(iii) Reliability of the third component is increased by 0.1 and that of the first
and second components remains the same.
Solution: First of all, we calculate the reliability of the system as per the given
reliabilities of the components. From equation (4),
R = R1R2R3 = 0.4 × 0.7 × 0.8 = 0.224 for a mission of 400 hours

Now, the reliabilities of the system and percentage increase in the reliability of
the system in cases (i), (ii) and (iii) are shown in columns 5 and 6,
respectively, of Table 16.1.
Table 16.1: Computation of System Reliability and Percentage Increase in the
Reliability of the System for cases (i), (ii) and (iii) of Example 2
Reliability
Reliability Reliability Reliability
of the Percentage Increase in the
of the First of the Third of the
Second Reliability of the System
Component Component System
Component
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

0.4 0.7 0.8 0.224 –

0.280 − 0.224
(i) 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.280 × 100 =
25%
0.224
0.256 − 0.224
(ii) 0.4 0.8 0.8 0.256 × 100  14.29%
0.224
0.252 − 0.224
(iii) 0.4 0.7 0.9 0.252 × 100 =
12.5%
0.224
183
Block 4 Reliability Theory
Note 2:
From column 6 of Table 16.1, note that the improvement in the reliability of the
system (in percentage) is higher when the reliability of the weakest component
is increased by 0.1 in comparison with the cases when the reliabilities of the
other two components are increased one at a time by the same amount (0.1).
This suggests that if a system engineer wants to improve the reliability of the
series system, he/she should concentrate on the improvement of the
reliability of the poorest component. You may have heard a saying that a
chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This saying best fits the series
system. So we can say that the unit (component/subsystem), which is the
poorest in the system from a reliability point of view, dictates the reliability of a
series system.
Example 3: Consider a component having reliability 0.95 for a mission of 100
hours. Evaluate the reliability of a series system in the cases having 2, 3,
4,…,10 such identical components 0.95 for the same mission of 100 hours.
Solution: If the single component of a system has reliability 0.95 for a mission
of 100 hours, then the system will also have the same reliability for a mission
of 100 hours. But the reliability of the series system for a mission of 100 hours
will vary if it has 2, 3, 4, …,10 such identical components connected in series
from a reliability point of view. In fact, the reliability of the system decreases
with an increase in the number of its components. The calculations are
shown in Table 16.2.
Table 16.2: Calculation of Reliability as the Number of Components varies from 1 to 10

Number of Reliability of Series % Decrease in the Reliability of the

Components System System Compared to the System
having Single Component
1 0.95 –
0.95 − 0.9025
( 0.95 )
2
2 = 0.9025 × 100 =
5%
0.95
0.95 − 0.857375
( 0.95 )
3
3 = 0.857375 × 100 =
9.75%
0.95
0.95 − 0.814506
( 0.95 )
4
4  0.814506 × 100  14.26%
0.95
0.95 − 0.773781
( 0.95 )
5
5  0.773781 × 100  18.55%
0.95
0.95 − 0.735092
( 0.95 )
6
6  0.735092 × 100  22.62%
0.95
0.95 − 0.698337
( 0.95 )
7
7  0.698337 × 100  26.49%
0.95
0.95 − 0.663420
( 0.95 )
8
8  0.663420 × 100  30.17%
0.95
0.95 − 0.630249
( 0.95 )
9
9  0.630249 × 100  33.66%
0.95
0.95 − 0.598737
( 0.95 )
10
10  0.598737 × 100  36.98%
0.95

Note 3: From the third column of Table 16.2, note that the reliability of a
series system decreases as we increase the number of
184 components in it.
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
Before we end this section, we also define the unreliability (Q) of a system. It
is simply given by
Q=1–R … (5)
You may like to solve the following Self Assessment Question to evaluate the
reliability of a series system.

SAQ 1
Three components of a system are connected in a series configuration. The
reliability of these components for a mission of 200 days are 0.80, 0.95 and
0.96, respectively. Evaluate the reliability of the system for a mission of 200
days. Assume that the components are independent.

16.5 RELIABILITY OF A PARALLEL SYSTEM

In Sec. 16.4, you have learnt that the reliability of the series system is worse
than the reliability of its poorest component. It means that we cannot improve
the reliability of a series system with less reliable components. But this can be
done in the case of a parallel system, which is discussed in this section.
We have defined parallel configuration in Sec. 16.2. A parallel system is
nothing but a system all of whose components are in a parallel configuration.
A parallel system made up of n components is represented as shown in
Fig. 16.8 for the purpose of reliability evaluation.

Fig. 16.8: Parallel system.

Note that Fig. 16.8 simply shows the logical connectivity of the system. The
actual physical connectivity of the components in the system may vary. But
always remember the following two characteristics of a parallel system:
(i) Only one component needs to work successfully for the successful
operation of the system, and
(ii) All components of the system must fail for system failure.
Let us now obtain an expression for the reliability evaluation of the parallel
system.
Let Ei be the event that component i performs its intended function
successfully, where i = 1, 2, 3, … , n. Let Ei (i = 1, 2, 3, …, n) denote the event
complementary to the event Ei . 185
Block 4 Reliability Theory
Let Ri denote the reliability of the component i, where i = 1, 2, 3, …, n for a
mission of t units of time.
If R denotes the reliability of the parallel system for the mission of t units of
time, then by definition of reliability and parallel system, we have
R= P (E1 ∪ E2 ∪ E3 ∪ ... ∪ En ) … (6)

We take the union (∪) of events in equation (6) because the definition of
reliability implies that reliability is a probability and the definition of the parallel
system implies that for the successful operation of the parallel system at last
only one component needs to work.
Further, from probability theory, we know that for any event, say, A
P(A) + P A =( )1. Here A = E1 ∪ E2 ∪ E3 ∪ ... ∪ En . Thus (6) may be written as:

R= (
1 − P E1 ∪ E2 ∪ E3 ∪ ... ∪ En )
Using De Morgan’s law, we have

R= (
1 − P E1 ∩ E2 ∩ E3 ∩ ... ∩ En )
If events Ei , ( i = 1,2,...,n ) are not independent, then on applying conditional
probability, we get

( ) ( ) (
R= 1 − P E1 P E2 E1E2 ...P En E1E2 ...En−1 )
But if Ei , ( i = 1,2,...,n ) are independent then Ei , ( i = 1,2,...,n ) are also
independent [this result has been discussed in Unit 1 of MST-012]. Then, we
get

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
R= 1 − P E1 P E2 P E3 ...P En

=1 − 1 − P (E1 )  1 − P (E2 )  ...  1 − P (E3 )   1 − P (En ) 

Since Ri = P(Ei ), therefore

R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) ... (1 − Rn ) … (7)

or
n
1 − ∏ (1 − Ri ) for a mission of t units of time
R= … (8)
i =1

Thus, the reliability of the parallel system is equal to one minus the product of
the unreliabilities of the elementary components of the system.
In particular, if the parallel system has only two components, then
R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 ) for a mission of t units of time

and if the parallel system has three components, then

R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) for a mission of t units of time

Let us consider some examples for evaluating the reliability of parallel

systems.
Example 4: Evaluate the reliability of the parallel system, which has the
186 reliability block diagram shown in Fig. 16.9. The reliabilities of the components
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
given in Fig. 16.9 are for a mission of 90 days. Assume that the failure of any
component does not affect the functioning of the other components.

Fig. 16.9: Reliability block diagram for Example 4.

From equation (7), we know that the reliability (R) of a parallel system having n
components with reliabilities Ri , i = 1,2,3,...,n, is given by

R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) ... (1 − Rn )

In this case,
= R1 0.60,R
= 2 0.75,R
= 3 0.95 and
= R 4 0.80.

1 − (1 − 0.60 )(1 − 0.75 )(1 − 0.95 )(1 − 0.80 )

∴R =

1 − 0.40 × 0.25 × 0.05 × 0.20 = 1 − 0.001

=
= 0.999 for a mission of 90 days
Note 4:
Note the answer of this example. It tells us that the reliability of the system has
improved in comparison to the series system of Example 1 having
components of the same reliability. Here the reliability of the system is even
better than the reliability of the best component of the system. But you should
keep in mind that for the successful operation of the parallel system, only one
component needs to work. So this improvement in the system reliability comes
at the cost of an initial investment of three additional components. Thus, we
have to balance the cost and reliability of a system. Whether to give
importance to the cost or to reliability depends on the severity of the
consequence of system failure. For example, there should be at least one
additional parallel engine in the aeroplane, whatever be the initial cost that the
airline has to pay. So in this case reliability is more important than cost. But in
the case of a component of, say TV, importance may be given to cost instead
of reliability because the failure of a TV has little consequence compared to
the crash of an aeroplane, which may result in the loss of lives of hundreds of
people.
Let us see the effect of a component’s reliability on the reliability of the parallel
system with the help of the following example.
Example 5: A system has three components connected in parallel having
reliabilities 0.20, 0.40, 0.50, respectively, for a mission of 400 hours. What is
the percentage increase in the reliability of the system in each of the following
cases?
(i) Reliability of the first component is increased by 0.1 and that of the
second and third components remains the same.
187
Block 4 Reliability Theory
(ii) Reliability of the second component is increased by 0.1 and that of the
first and third components remains the same.
(iii) Reliability of the third component is increased by 0.1 and that of the first
and second components remains the same.
Solution: We first calculate the reliability of the system as per the given
reliabilities of the components using equation (7) as
R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) , where R1 =0.2,R2 =0.4,R3 =0.5

=1 − (1 − 0.20 )(1 − 0.4 )(1 − 0.5 ) =−

1 0.8 × 0.6 × 0.5 = 1 − 0.240

= 0.760 for a mission of 400 hours

Now, reliabilities of the system and percentage increase in the reliability of the
system for cases (i), (ii) and (iii) are shown in columns 5 and 6, respectively, in
Table 16.3.
Table 16.3: Computation of System Reliability and Percentage Increase in the
Reliability of the System for the Cases (i) , (ii) and (iii)

Reliability of Reliability of Reliability of Reliability Percentage Increase in the

I II III of the Reliability of the System
Component Component Component System
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

0.2 0.4 0.5 0.760 –

0.790 − 0.760
(i) 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.790 × 100  3.95%
0.760

0.800 − 0.760
(ii) 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.800 × 100  5.26%
0.760

0.808 − 0.760
(iii) 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.808 × 100  6.32%
0.760

Note 5:
From column 6 of Table 16.3, you can see that the improvement in the
reliability of the system (in percentage) is higher when the reliability of the best
component is increased by 0.1 as compared to the cases when the reliabilities
of the other two components are increased one at a time by the same amount
(0.1). This suggests that if a system engineer wants to improve the reliability of
a parallel system, he/she should concentrate on the improvement of the
reliability of the best component. Thus, the best component dictates the
reliability of the parallel system. Recall that the poorest component dictates the
reliability of the series system.
Let us see the effect of the number of components on the reliability of a
parallel system with the help of Example 6.

Example 6: Consider a component having reliability of 0.75 for a mission of

100 hours. Evaluate the reliability of a parallel system when the system has 2,
3, 4, …, 10 such identical components for the same mission of 100 hours.

Solution: If a system has a single component of reliability of 0.75 for a

mission of 100 hours, it will also have the same reliability for a mission of 100
188 hours. But the reliability of the parallel system for a mission of 100 hours will
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
vary in the cases having 2, 3, 4 ,…,10 identical components connected in
parallel from the reliability point of view. In fact, it increases with the number of
components as the calculations are given in Table. 16.4.
Table 16.4: Calculation of Reliability as Number of Components varies from 1 to 10

Number of Reliability of Parallel % Increase in the Reliability of the

Components System System Compared to the System
having Single Component
1 0.75 –
0.9375 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 ) =
2
2 0.9375 × 100 =
25%
0.75
0.984375 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 ) =
3
3 0.984375 × 100 =
31.25%
0.75
0.996094 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.996094
4
4 × 100  32.81%
0.75
0.999023 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999023
5
5 × 100  33.20%
0.75
0.999756 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999756
6
6 × 100  33.30%
0.75
0.999939 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999939
7
7 × 100  33.33%
0.75
0.999985 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999985
8
8 × 100  33.33%
0.75
0.999996 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999996
9
9 × 100  33.33%
0.75
0.999999 − 0.75
1 − (1 − 0.75 )  0.999999
10
10 × 100  33.33%
0.75

Note 6:
From the third column of Table 16.4, you can see that the reliability of a
parallel system increases by a great extent with the addition of the first
component to the one-component system as compared to the addition of the
second component, the third component, and so on. The same column further
suggests that providing more than two components for a one-component
system from a reliability point of view is not of much benefit. That is why an
aeroplane which requires two engines for successful operation is generally
provided two engines to improve reliability for successful operation.
Example 7: Suppose you are an industrial statistician in a company. Suppose
a system engineer visits you and explains his/her problem to you as follows:
‘I want to design a parallel system with an overall reliability of 0.98 by using
identical components, each having individual reliability of 0.25. What is the
minimum number of components that I should connect?’ What will your
answer be?
Solution: Let Rs be the overall reliability of the system and R be the reliability
of each component. If the required number of components is n, then from
equation (7), we have

Rs =1 − (1 − R )
n

⇒ 0.98 =1 − (1 − 0.25 )
n

189
Block 4 Reliability Theory

⇒ (1 − 0.25 ) =1 − 0.98
n

⇒ ( 0.75 ) =
n
0.02

Taking natural logarithms on both sides, we get

n ln (0.75) = ln (0.02)  ln(mn ) = n [ln(m)]

⇒ −0.2877n  −3.9120 [Using scientific calculator]

3.9120
⇒n  13.5975
0.2877
Since the number of components cannot be in fractions, he/she should
connect 14 components in parallel to achieve a reliability of 0.98.
You can now try the following Self Assessment Question to evaluate the
reliability of a parallel system.

SAQ 2
A system has three components, which are connected in parallel configuration
from a reliability point of view. The reliabilities of these components for a
mission of 300 days are 0.60, 0.55 and 0.70, respectively. Evaluate the
reliability of the system for a mission of 300 days. Assume that the
components are independent.

In Secs. 16.4 and 16.5, you have learnt how to evaluate the reliability of series
and parallel systems, respectively. But in practice, there are many real
systems having components connected in series as well as in parallel. Such
systems are known as mixed systems and we will discuss them in the next
section.

16.6 RELIABILITY OF A MIXED SYSTEM

A system is said to be a mixed system if the components of the system are
connected both in series and in parallel configurations. The reliability block
diagram shown in Fig. 16.5 represents a mixed system where components 1,
2, 3 and 4, 5 are separately connected in series while the two subsystems –
one consisting the components 1, 2, 3 and another consisting the components
4, 5 themselves are in parallel.
To evaluate the reliability of a mixed system, we first break the reliability block
diagram into series or parallel subsystems. Then we evaluate the reliability of
each subsystem. Finally, we evaluate the reliability of the given mixed system
by combining the reliabilities of the subsystems and applying appropriate
probability law(s). The procedure is explained below with the help of an
example.
Example 8: Evaluate the reliability of the system for which the reliability block
diagram is shown in Fig. 16.10, 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,
190 R8 = 0.90,
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
where Ri denotes the reliability of the component i, (i = 1, 2, 3, …,8).

Fig. 16.10: Reliability block diagram for Example 8.

Solution: The components of the given system are connected in both series
and parallel configurations. 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, and 4 which are in a
parallel configuration to form an equivalent component 9
(see reduction I in Fig. 16.11).
• Reduction II: Combine the components 5 and 6 which are in parallel
configuration to form an equivalent component 10 (see
reduction II in Fig. 16.11).
• Reduction III: Combine the components 1, 9, and 10 which are in a
series configuration (see reduction II in Fig. 16.11) to form
an equivalent component 11 (see reduction III in Fig.
16.11).
• Reduction IV: Combine the components 7 and 8 which are in series
configuration to form an equivalent component 12 (see
reduction IV in Fig. 16.11).
• Reduction V: Finally, combine the components 11 and 12 which are in
parallel configuration (see reduction IV in Fig. 16.11) to
form an equivalent component 13 (see reduction V in Fig.
16.11). Component 13 represents the complete system.
The step-by-step reduction process is shown in Fig. 16.11.

Fig. 16.11: Reductions I to V of Fig. 16.10.

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 component i, 191
Block 4 Reliability Theory
(i = 1, 2, 3,…, 8). Similarly, if R9 to R13 denote the reliabilities of the equivalent
components 9 to 13, then using equations (7 and 4), we have
 components 2,3 and 4 are 
1 − (1 − R2 )(1 − R3 )(1 − R 4 )
R9 = inparallelconfiguration 
 
1 − (1 − 0.75 )(1 − 0.50 )(1 − 0.65 )
=

1 − 0.25 × 0.50 × 0.35  1 − 0.0438 = 0.9562

=
 components 5 and 6 are 
R10 =1 − (1 − R5 )(1 − R6 ) inparallelconfiguration 
 
=1 − (1 − 0.76 )(1 − 0.60 )

1 − 0.24 × 0.40 =
= 1 − 0.096 =
0.904
 components 1,9 and10 are 
R11 = R1R9R10 in series configuration 
 
 0.80 × 0.9562 × 0.904  0.6915
 components 7 and8 are 
R12 = R7R8 in series configuration 
 
= 0.95 × 0.90 = 0.855
 components 11and12 are 
R13 =1 − (1 − R11 )(1 − R12 ) inparallelconfiguration 
 

 1 − (1 − 0.6915 )(1 − 0.855 ) =

1 − 0.3085 × 0.145  1 − 0.0447 =
0.9553

Hence, the reliability of the given mixed system is 0.9553.

You can now try the following Self Assessment Question to evaluate the
reliability of a mixed system.

SAQ 3
Evaluate the reliability of the system for which the reliability block diagram is
shown in Fig. 16.12, 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.

Fig. 16.12: Reliability block diagram.

Let us summarise the main points that we have covered in this unit.

16.7 SUMMARY
• An assemblage of, say n, identifiable components that perform some
192 function is known as a system in reliability.
Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems
• A system is said to have its components in series configuration from a
reliability point of view if they are connected in such a way that:
 for the successful operation of the system, it is necessary that all n
components perform their intended function successfully, and
 only one component needs to fail for the system failure.
• A system is said to have its components in parallel configuration from a
reliability point of view if they are connected in such a way that:
 only one component needs to work for the successful operation of the
system, and
 all components must fail for system failure.
• A system is said to be simple if either its components are connected in
parallel, in series or in combinations of both. In other words, a system is
said to be simple if its reliability block diagram can be reduced into
subsystems having independent components either in parallel or in series.
• In a series system, all components of the system are in a series
configuration.
• In a parallel system, all components of the system are in a parallel
configuration.
• In a mixed system, the components of the system are connected both in
series and in parallel.

16.8 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Evaluate the unreliability of the system given in SAQ1.
2. The design of a system is such that it requires 100 identical components
in series. Further, it is desired that the reliability of the system must be
0.95 for a mission of 800 hours. Determine the minimum reliability of
each component.
3. Evaluate the unreliability of the system given in E4.
4. Suppose you are an industrial statistician in a company. Suppose a
system engineer visits you and explains his/her simple problem to you
as follows:
‘I want to design a parallel system with overall reliability of the system as
0.95 for a mission of 900 hours. The system will have 10 identical
components. How poor can a component in the system be?’
Assuming that the components are independent, what will your answer
be?

16.9 SOLUTIONS/ANSWERS
Self Assessment Questions (SAQs)
1. The reliability block diagram of the given series system is shown in
Fig. 16.13.

Fig. 16.13: Reliability block diagram.

193
Block 4 Reliability Theory
We know that the reliability of a series system is equal to the product of
the individual reliabilities of the components [see equation (4)].
Therefore, the required reliability of the series system is given by
R = 0.80 × 0.95 × 0.96 = 0.7296 for a mission of 200 days
2. The reliability block diagram of the given parallel system is shown in
Fig. 16.14.

Fig. 16.14: Reliability block diagram.

We know that the reliability (R) of a parallel system having n components

with reliabilities Ri, i = 1, 2, 3, …, n is given by equation (7) as
R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) ... (1 − Rn )

In this case, R1 = 0.60, R2 = 0.55, R3 = 0.70 and n = 3.

(1 − 0.60 )(1 − 0.55 )(1 − 0.70 ) =
∴R = 1 − 0.40 × 0.45 × 0.30 = 1 – 0.054

= 0.946 for a mission of 300 days

3. The components of the given system are connected both in series and in
parallel. So it is a mixed system. To evaluate the reliability of this mixed
system, we have to break the system into subsystems such that either
all the components of a subsystem are in series or in parallel. This can
be done as follows.
Reduction I: Combine the components 1, 2, and 3 which are in a
parallel configuration to form an equivalent component
10 (see reduction I in Fig. 16.15).
Reduction II: Combine the components 4 and 5 which are in series
configuration to form an equivalent component 11 (see
reduction II in Fig. 16.15).
Reduction III: Combine the components 6 and 7 which are in parallel
configuration to form an equivalent component 12 (see
reduction III in Fig. 16.15).
Reduction IV: Combine the components 12 and 8 which are in series
configuration to form an equivalent component 13 (see
reduction IV in Fig. 16.15).
Reduction V: Combine the components 11 and 13 which are in a
parallel configuration to form an equivalent component
14 (see reduction V in Fig. 16.15).
Reduction VI: Combine the components 10, 14 and 9 which are in a
series configuration to form an equivalent component 15
(see reduction VI in Fig. 16.15). Component 15
represents the complete system.

194 This step-by-step reduction process is shown in Fig. 16.15.

Unit 16 Reliability of Series and Parallel Systems

Fig. 16.15: Reliability block diagram.

We are given that 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.
Similarly, if R10 to R15 denote the reliabilities of the equivalent
components 10 to 15, then from equations (4) and (7), we have
 components 1,2 and3 are 
R10 =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) inparallelconfiguration 
 
1 − (1 − 0.40 )(1 − 0.30 )(1 − 0.60 )
=
=1 − 0.60 × 0.70 × 0.40 =
1 − 0.168 =
0.832
 components 4 and 5 are 
R11 = R 4R5 in series configuration 
 
= 0.80 × 0.85 = 0.68
 components 6 and 7 are 
R12 =1 − (1 − R6 )(1 − R7 ) in parallel configuration 
 
=1 − (1 − 0.60 )(1 − 0.70 )
1 − 0.40 × 0.30 =
= 1 − 0.12 =
0.88
 components 12 and 8 are 
R13 = R12R8 in series configuration 
 
= 0.88 × 0.95 = 0.836

R14 =1 − (1 − R11 )(1 − R13 )  components 11 and 13 are 

in parallel configuration 
=1 − (1 − 0.68 )(1 − 0.836 )
=1 − 0.32 × 0.164 =
1 − 0.05248 = 0.94752
 components 10,14 and 9 are 
R15 = R10R14R9 in series configuration 
 
= 0.832 × 0.94752 × 0.96 = 0.7568032

Hence, the reliability of the given system is 0.7568032 for a mission

of 500 hours. 195
Block 4 Reliability Theory
Terminal Questions (TQs)
1. From equation (6), we know that the unreliability (Q) of a system is given
by.
Q=1–R
⇒ Q =1 − 0.7296 [using the result of SAQ1]
⇒Q=
0.2704
Therefore, the probability that the system will fail before a mission of 200
days is 0.2704.
2. Since all 100 components are identical, each component has the same
reliability. Let it be denoted by R. If Rs denotes the reliability of the series
system, then from equation (4), we have
R100
Rs = R100 ⇒ 0.95 =

( 0.95 )
1/100
⇒R =

 0.9995 [using scientific calculator]

3. We know that the unreliability (Q) of a system is given by
Q=1–R
or
Q= 1 − 0.946 [using the result of SAQ2]
= 0.054
Therefore, the probability that the system will fail before a mission of 300
days is 0.054.
4. Let the reliability of each component be denoted by R and that of the
system by Rs . We know that the reliability (R) of a parallel system having
n components is given by equation (7) as
R =1 − (1 − R1 )(1 − R2 )(1 − R3 ) ... (1 − Rn )

In this case R = Rs , R=
1 R=
2 R=
3 ...
= R=n R and n = 10

∴ Rs =1 − (1 − R ) ⇒ 0.95 =1 − (1 − R )
10 10

⇒ (1 − R ) =1 − 0.95 as Rs = 0.95 ( given )

10

⇒ (1 − R ) = ( 0.05 )
10 1/10
0.05 ⇒ 1 − R =

⇒ 1 − R  0.7411 [Using scientific calculator]

⇒ R  1 − 0.7411= 0.2589
Hence, your answer to the system engineer should be that each
component cannot be poorer than a component having reliability 0.2589.

196