The LP/POMDP marriage: Optimization with imperfect information

A new technique for solving large‐scale allocation problems with partially observable states and constrained action and observation resources is introduced. The technique uses a master linear program (LP) to determine allocations among a set of control policies, and uses partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) to determine improving policies using dual prices from the master LP. An application is made to a military problem where aircraft attack targets in a sequence of stages, with information acquired in one stage being used to plan attacks in the next. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Naval Research Logistics 47: 607–619, 2000     

基于似然比检验的橡胶密封件加速试验机理一致性判别方法

加速退化试验广泛应用于橡胶密封件等长寿命产品的可靠性评估,试验过程中需要将高应力水平下的试验结果外推到正常应力水平。要获得准确的产品可靠性评估结果,需要保证加速应力下的退化失效机理与正常应力下的退化失效机理一致。基于似然比检验原理,提出加速退化试验机理一致性判别方法及流程。针对失效机理一致与失效机理变化两种场合,提出对数线性及非对数线性两类加速模型,并结合混合效应模型描述产品退化过程。利用似然比检验判断加速模型参数是否变化,完成失效机理一致性判别。仿真算例和应用实例表明,该方法能够有效判别橡胶密封件失效机理是否变化,并找到失效机理不变的应力水平边界。     

Planning gamma accelerated degradation tests with two accelerating variables

Gamma accelerated degradation tests (ADT) are widely used to assess timely lifetime information of highly reliable products with degradation paths that follow a gamma process. In the existing literature, there is interest in addressing the problem of deciding how to conduct an efficient, ADT that includes determinations of higher stress‐testing levels and their corresponding sample‐size allocations. The existing results mainly focused on the case of a single accelerating variable. However, this may not be practical when the quality characteristics of the product have slow degradation rates. To overcome this difficulty, we propose an analytical approach to address this decision‐making problem using the case of two accelerating variables. Specifically, based on the criterion of minimizing the asymptotic variance of the estimated q quantile of lifetime distribution of the product, we analytically show that the optimal stress levels and sample‐size allocations can be simultaneously obtained via a general equivalence theorem. In addition, we use a practical example to illustrate the proposed procedure.     

Maintaining systems with heterogeneous spare parts

We consider the problem of optimally maintaining a stochastically degrading, single‐unit system using heterogeneous spares of varying quality. The system's failures are unannounced; therefore, it is inspected periodically to determine its status (functioning or failed). The system continues in operation until it is either preventively or correctively maintained. The available maintenance options include perfect repair, which restores the system to an as‐good‐as‐new condition, and replacement with a randomly selected unit from the supply of heterogeneous spares. The objective is to minimize the total expected discounted maintenance costs over an infinite time horizon. We formulate the problem using a mixed observability Markov decision process (MOMDP) model in which the system's age is observable but its quality must be inferred. We show, under suitable conditions, the monotonicity of the optimal value function in the belief about the system quality and establish conditions under which finite preventive maintenance thresholds exist. A detailed computational study reveals that the optimal policy encourages exploration when the system's quality is uncertain; the policy is more exploitive when the quality is highly certain. The study also demonstrates that substantial cost savings are achieved by utilizing our MOMDP‐based method as compared to more naïve methods of accounting for heterogeneous spares.     

On the reduction of total‐cost and average‐cost MDPs to discounted MDPs

This article provides conditions under which total‐cost and average‐cost Markov decision processes (MDPs) can be reduced to discounted ones. Results are given for transient total‐cost MDPs with transition rates whose values may be greater than one, as well as for average‐cost MDPs with transition probabilities satisfying the condition that there is a state such that the expected time to reach it is uniformly bounded for all initial states and stationary policies. In particular, these reductions imply sufficient conditions for the validity of optimality equations and the existence of stationary optimal policies for MDPs with undiscounted total cost and average‐cost criteria. When the state and action sets are finite, these reductions lead to linear programming formulations and complexity estimates for MDPs under the aforementioned criteria.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 66:38–56, 2019     

装备保障方案综合评价系统的分析与设计

为了科学合理地对装备保障方案进行权衡分析和优化筛选,从装备保障方案综合评价的具体需求出发,提出了装备保障方案综合评价系统的总体结构,基于 OU（组织单元）与 BOU（基本组织单元）的组织建模法构建了装备保障方案综合评价的组织结构模型,设计了系统的角色和各功能模块,并给出系统运作的一般流程和具体事例,验证了该系统的可行性和有效性。     

用于混合动力汽车的球形发动机热力学过程分析

作为混合动力汽车增程系统的一种新型动力源,球形发动机有着功率密度高,结构紧凑等优点。在介绍球形发动机工作原理及基本结构的基础之上,研究了发动机气缸容积变化规律,分析发动机燃烧过程,建立了发动机热力学理论模型。利用FLUENT开展了仿真研究,验证了模型的正确性,进而对于发动机燃油喷射过程进行了分析。结果表明：计算得到的气缸内部温度与压力曲线与仿真得到的结果基本一致,验证了理论模型的正确性。在燃油喷射的过程中,可能会出现涡团状的燃油喷射轨迹,使得局部富油发生,燃烧性能变差。     

Minimal LST representations of MAP(n)s: Moment fittings and queueing approximations

A Markovian arrival process of order n, MAP(n), is typically described by two n × n transition rate matrices in terms of rate parameters. While it is straightforward and intuitive, the Markovian representation is redundant since the minimal number of parameters is n² for non‐redundant MAP(n). It is well known that the redundancy complicates exact moment fittings. In this article, we present a minimal and unique Laplace‐Stieltjes transform (LST) representations for MAP(n)s. Even though the LST coefficients vector itself is not a minimal representation, we show that the joint LST of stationary intervals can be represented with the minimum number of parameters. We also propose another minimal representation for MAP(3)s based on coefficients of the characteristic polynomial equations of the two transition rate matrices. An exact moment fitting procedure is presented for MAP(3)s based on two proposed minimal representations. We also discuss how MAP(3)/G/1 departure process can be approximated as a MAP(3). A simple tandem queueing network example is presented to show that the MAP(3) performs better than the MAP(2) in queueing approximations especially under moderate traffic intensities. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 63: 549–561, 2016     

基于改进信息熵的抢修操作过程复杂性测度模型

抢修操作过程复杂性既是抢修人员准确衡量抢修操作难易程度及不确定性的重要指标,又是辅助指挥员进行抢修任务分配及抢修资源调度的重要参考,还是进行抢修时间估计的重要依据。然而,目前没有合适的抢修操作过程复杂性测度方法。考虑到普通信息熵极大值公理与抢修操作过程复杂性的特征不相符,利用改进的信息熵建立抢修操作过程的复杂性测度模型,并利用回归分析法通过实例验证,模型测度结果可以客观地反映抢修操作过程的复杂性。     

舰船机电系统非完备使用故障数据分析

舰船机电系统在使用维修过程中所记录的故障数据通常质量不高,信息记录不完整、不准确。针对这类不完备数据,利用图示法给出故障趋势的判定。在此基础上,分别利用齐次泊松过程、非齐次泊松过程和几何过程,对装备的历史故障数据进行分析。结果表明,几何过程产生的拟合误差最小,可预测装备的未来故障强度。