Reliability and mean residual life functions of coherent systems in an active redundancy

In this article, the reliability and the mean residual life (MRL) functions of a system with active redundancies at the component and system levels are investigated. In active redundancy at the component level, the original and redundant components are working together and lifetime of the system is determined by the maximum of lifetime of the original components and their spares. In the active redundancy at the system level, the system has a spare, and the original and redundant systems work together. The lifetime of such a system is then the maximum of lifetimes of the system and its spare. The lifetimes of the original component and the spare are assumed to be dependent random variables. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 64: 19–28, 2017     

Scheduling spares with exponential lifetimes in a two-component parallel system

A set of n spare components whose life lengths are exponentially distributed with rates μ₁, …,μ_n are available to keep a two-component parallel system in operation. We derive the optimal order of replacement of failed components in order to maximize the system life length.     

Optimal spares for stochastically failing equipment

A mathematical model is formulated for determining the number of spare components to purchase when components stochastically fail according to a known life distribution function and there is a cost incurred when a component is replaced. Bounds are determined for the optimal inventory which indicate that the inclusion of the replacement cost lowers the optimal inventory. Since these bounds are no easier to calculate than the optimal spares level, the theory is specialized to components with exponentially distributed time to failure. Procedures are given for calculating the optimal spares level, and numerical examples are provided.     

A model in which component failure rates depend on the working set

We consider a multicomponent system in which the failure rate of a given component at any time depends on the set of working components at that time. Sufficient conditions are presented under which such a system has a life distribution of specified type. The Laplace transform of the time until all components are down is derived. When repair is allowed, conditions under which the resulting process is time reversible are presented.     

Note: Optimal allocation of resources to nodes of series systems with respect to failure-rate ordering

Allocation of spare components in a system in order to optimize the lifetime of the system with respect to a suitable criterion is of considerable interest in reliability, engineering, industry, and defense. We consider the problem of allocation of K active spares to a series system of independent and identical components in order to optimize the failure-rate function of the system. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Technical note: Reexamination of all‐or‐none inspection policies in a supply chain with endogenous product quality

This note studies the optimal inspection policies in a supply chain in which a manufacturer purchases components from a supplier but has no direct control of component quality. The manufacturer uses an inspection policy and a damage cost sharing contract to encourage the supplier to improve the component quality. We find that all‐or‐none inspection policies are optimal for the manufacturer if the supplier's share of the damage cost is larger than a threshold; otherwise, the manufacturer should inspect a fraction of a batch. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

相控阵天线阵面两级备件优化配置模型

针对相控阵天线阵面备件配置存在的冗余性强、批量送修、多级维修等现实问题,综合考虑备件费用、维修能力以及库存策略之间的关系,建立了基于定期补给的两级备件优化配置模型。给出了系统的故障件维修周转过程和维修备件的定期补给过程,在分析备件、库存、维修能力之间关系的基础上,结合成批到达的排队理论,建立了系统的供应可用度模型。以备件配置费用最小为目标、以系统供应可用度为约束条件,建立了系统的备件优化配置模型,并通过边际效益分析法对模型进行了求解。通过算例仿真与分析对模型进行了验证。结果表明:构建的备件配置能够较好地解决相控阵天线阵面的备件配置问题,具有一定的优越性。     

Optimal replacement for fault-tolerant systems

We consider the optimal replacement problem for a fault tolerant system comprised of N components. The components are distingushable, and the state of the system is given by knowing exactly which components are operationl and which have failed. The individual component failure rates depend on the state of the entire system. We assume that the rate at which the system produces income decreases as the system deteriorates and the system replacement cost rises. Individual components cannot be replaced. We give a greedy-type algorithm that produces the replacement policy that maximizes the long-run net system income per unit time.     

Parametric inference for component distributions from lifetimes of systems with dependent components

In system reliability analysis, for an n ‐component system, the estimation of the performance of the components in the system is not straightforward in practice, especially when the components are dependent. Here, by assuming the n components in the system to be identically distributed with a common distribution belonging to a scale‐family and the dependence structure between the components being known, we discuss the estimation of the lifetime distributions of the components in the system based on the lifetimes of systems with the same structure. We develop a general framework for inference on the scale parameter of the component lifetime distribution. Specifically, the method of moments estimator (MME) and the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) are derived for the scale parameter, and the conditions for the existence of the MLE are also discussed. The asymptotic confidence intervals for the scale parameter are also developed based on the MME and the MLE. General simulation procedures for the system lifetime under this model are described. Finally, some examples of two‐ and three‐component systems are presented to illustrate all the inferential procedures developed here. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

考虑需求相关的可修复系统备件配置模型

对于一个拥有多台相同设备的可修复系统来说,一种备件的需求以及其对应的备件保障方案将影响着系统的可工作设备数量,从而影响着设备其他备件的需求,故假设备件需求相互独立且与系统自身备件保障方案无关而开展备件配置研究是不合理的.在考虑备件需求相关以及备件的保障方案对备件需求的影响的前提下,利用马尔可夫理论描述了备件需求规律,针对不串件拼修和串件拼修两种情况分别给出了可用度的计算方法,并在此基础上以备件配置费用作为优化目标,以可用度作为约束构建备件优化配置模型,给出了边际分析求解模型的方法.通过案例分析,验证了模型的正确性.     

随舰备件动态管理及备件数量计算模型

针对精确化保障的需要,提出了一种新的随舰备件动态管理策略.基于不同型号装备中相同型号的部件可以相互替换,开发了一个能综合考虑同型号部件具有不同寿命分布、任务要求的不同工作时间等特点的随舰备件数量计算模型.并以寿命服从正态分布的部件为算例进行了备件数量计算,验证了模型的可行性.     

Stochastic framework for partially degradation systems with continuous component degradation‐rate‐interactions

Many conventional models that characterize the reliability of multicomponent systems are developed on the premise that for a given system, the failures of its components are independent. Although this facilitates mathematical tractability, it may constitute a significant departure from what really takes place. In many real‐world applications, system components exhibit various degrees of interdependencies, which present significant challenges in predicting degradation performance and the remaining lifetimes of the individual components as well as the system at large. We focus on modeling the performance of interdependent components of networked systems that exhibit interactive degradation processes. Specifically, we focus on how the performance level of one component affects the degradation rates of other dependent components. This is achieved by using stochastic models to characterize how degradation‐based sensor signals associated with the components evolve over time. We consider “Continuous‐Type” component interactions that occur continuously over time. This type of degradation interaction exists in many applications, in which interdependencies occur on a continuum. We use a system of stochastic differential equations to capture such “Continuous‐Type” interaction. In addition, we utilize a Bayesian approach to update the proposed model using real‐time sensor signals observed in the field and provide more accurate estimation of component residual lifetimes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 286–303, 2014     

基于任务可用度模型的指数分布型备件随舰携行量计算模型

针对现有的战备完好性计算模型与备件数量关联度不强的问题和基于战备完好性的备件数量计算大多采用仿真方法的不足,提出了能够考虑备件数量影响的舰船装备任务可用度的概念及其计算模型,并在此基础上研究了寿命服从指数分布的备件在故障后采用更换策略时,装备的任务可用度与备件携行量的关系,得到了一个可以通过解析计算确定备件数量的新模型...     

Some comparisons of residual life of coherent systems with exchangeable components

Most of the research, on the study of the reliability properties of technical systems, assume that the components of the system operate independently. However, in real life situation, it is more reasonable to assume that there is dependency among the components of the system. In this article, we give sufficient conditions based on the signature and the joint distribution of component lifetimes to obtain stochastic ordering results for coherent and mixed systems with exchangeable components. Some stochastic orders on dynamic (or conditional) signature of coherent systems are also provided. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 549–556, 2014     

Optimal replacement policies with two or more loaded sliding standbys

This article defines optimal replacement policies for identical components performing different functions in a given system, when more than one spare part is available. The problem is first formulated for two components and any number of spare parts and the optimal replacement time y(x) at time x is found to have a certain form. Sufficient conditions are then provided for y(x) to be a constant y* for x > y*, and y(x) = x for x > y* (single-critical-number policy). Under the assumption that the optimal policies are of the single-critical-number type, the results are extended to the n-component case, and a theorem is provided that reduces the required number of critical numbers. Finally, the theory is applied to the case of the exponential and uniform failure laws, in which single-critical-number policies are optimal, and to another failure law in which they are not.     

An optimal critical level policy for inventory systems with two demand classes

Traditional inventory systems treat all demands of a given item equally. This approach is optimal if the penalty costs of all customers are the same, but it is not optimal if the penalty costs are different for different customer classes. Then, demands of customers with high penalty costs must be filled before demands of customers with low penalty costs. A commonly used inventory policy for dealing with demands with different penalty costs is the critical level inventory policy. Under this policy demands with low penalty costs are filled as long as inventory is above a certain critical level. If the inventory reaches the critical level, only demands with high penalty costs are filled and demands with low penalty costs are backordered. In this article, we consider a critical level policy for a periodic review inventory system with two demand classes. Because traditional approaches cannot be used to find the optimal parameters of the policy, we use a multidimensional Markov chain to model the inventory system. We use a sample path approach to prove several properties of this inventory system. Although the cost function is not convex, we can build on these properties to develop an optimization approach that finds the optimal solution. We also present some numerical results. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Estimation of the survival function of a repairable standby series system

This article deals with the statistical analysis of an N-component series system supported by an active standby and one repair facility. Assuming that the life and repair times of the components are independent exponential random variables, the probability distribution of the first passage to the system failure time is shown to be a convolution of two independent exponential distributions. Three observation schemes are considered to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of the survival function. Information matrices are supplied. Numerical results based on Monte Carlo simulation are presented. It is noted that component level information (failure rate, repair rate) is not necessary for estimating the survival function of the system.     

On the application and extension of system signatures in engineering reliability

Following a review of the basic ideas in structural reliability, including signature‐based representation and preservation theorems for systems whose components have independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) lifetimes, extensions that apply to the comparison of coherent systems of different sizes, and stochastic mixtures of them, are obtained. It is then shown that these results may be extended to vectors of exchangeable random lifetimes. In particular, for arbitrary systems of sizes m < n with exchangeable component lifetimes, it is shown that the distribution of an m‐component system's lifetime can be written as a mixture of the distributions of k‐out‐of‐n systems. When the system has n components, the vector of coefficients in this mixture representation is precisely the signature of the system defined in Samaniego, IEEE Trans Reliabil R–34 (1985) 69–72. These mixture representations are then used to obtain new stochastic ordering properties for coherent or mixed systems of different sizes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

鱼雷装备备件隶属关系的两级库存系统配置优化研究

备件库存系统配置优化是提高武器装备的战备完好性和降低寿命周期费用的重要途径,但在装备组成结构中,由于部件之间存在一定的隶属关系,并不是所有的项目都能够进行串件。针对现有两级库存系统备件配置优化研究的不完善之处,根据装备结构层次特点,通过分析鱼雷装备LRU和SRU备件两级库存系统,提出了备件初始配置方案下的备件库存缺货数模型,并在此基础上建立了基于备件隶属关系的两级库存系统配置优化模型。该模型以鱼雷装备使用度和库存费用为优化目标,通过优化备件库存配置结构,生成较好的备件库存配置方案,从而节约备件配置费用,避免造成资源浪费。     

Two‐stage component test plans for testing the reliability of a series system

A system reliability is often evaluated by individual tests of components that constitute the system. These component test plans have advantages over complete system based tests in terms of time and cost. In this paper, we consider the series system with n components, where the lifetime of the i‐th component follows exponential distribution with parameter λ_i. Assuming test costs for the components are different, we develop an efficient algorithm to design a two‐stage component test plan that satisfies the usual probability requirements on the system reliability and in addition minimizes the maximum expected cost. For the case of prior information in the form of upper bounds on λ_i's, we use the genetic algorithm to solve the associated optimization problems which are otherwise difficult to solve using mathematical programming techniques. The two‐stage component test plans are cost effective compared to single‐stage plans developed by Rajgopal and Mazumdar. We demonstrate through several numerical examples that our approach has the potential to reduce the overall testing costs significantly. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 49: 95–116, 2002; DOI 10.1002/nav.1051