Multi-objective imperfect selective maintenance optimization for series-parallel systems with stochastic mission duration

To improve the probability that an engineering system successfully completes its next mission, it is crucial to implement timely maintenance activities, especially when maintenance time or maintenance resources are limited. Taking series-parallel system as the object of study, this paper develops a multi-objective imperfect selective maintenance optimization model. Among it, during the scheduled breaks, potential maintenance actions are implemented for the components, ranging from minimal repair to replacement. Considering that the level of maintenance actions is closely related to the maintenance cost, age reduction coefficient and hazard rate adjustment coefficient are taken into account. Moreover, improved hybrid hazard rate approach is adopted to describe the reliability improvement of the components, and the mission duration is regarded as a random variable. On this basis, a nonlinear stochastic optimization model is established with dual objectives to minimize the total maintenance cost and maximize the system reliability concurrently. The fast elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is adopted to solve the model. Numerical experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed model can obtain better scheduling schemes for the maintenance resources, and more flexible maintenance plans are gained.

A multi-objective selective maintenance optimization method for series-parallel systems using NSGA-III and NSGA-II evolutionary algorithms

Aiming at the problem that the downtime is simply assumed to be constant and the limited resources are not considered in the current selective maintenance of the series-parallel system, a three-objective selective maintenance model for the series-parallel system is established to minimize the maintenance cost, maximize the probability of completing the next task and minimize the downtime. The maintenance decision-making model and personnel allocation model are combined to make decisions on the optimal length of each equipment’s rest period, the equipment to be maintained during the rest period and the maintenance level. For the multi-objective model established, the NSGA-III algorithm is designed to solve the model. Comparing with the NSGA-II algorithm that only considers the first two objectives, it is verified that the designed multi-objective model can effectively reduce the downtime of the system.

Reliability analysis and selective maintenance for multistate queueing system

The reliability theory of the multi-state system (MSS) has received considerable attention in recent years, as it is able to characterize the multi-state property and complicated deterioration process of systems in a finer way than that of binary-state system. In general, the performance of the task processing type MSS is typically measured by an operation time (processing speed). Whereas, considering the queueing phenomenon caused by the random arrival and processing of tasks, some other criteria should be taken into account to evaluate the quality of service (QoS) and the profit of stakeholders, such as waiting time, service and abandon rate of tasks and consequent profit rate. In this article, we focus on the queueing process of tasks and analyse the performance and reliability of MSS in an M/M/2 queueing model, which is referred to as a multi-state queueing system (MSQS). Two kinds of deterioration are studied including the gradual degradation of servers and the sudden breakdown of the whole system. A performance assessment function is defined to obtain the profit rate of MSQS in different performance states. Based on the proposed performance function, the selective maintenance method is studied to optimize the accumulated profit under the constraint of maintenance resource and time.

Optimal Selective Maintenance Decision-Making for Consecutive-Mission Systems with Variable Durations and Limited Maintenance Time

Maintenance is inevitable for repairable components or systems in modern industries. Since the maintenance effectiveness has a great influence on the subsequent operations and in addition, different maintenance options are possible for the components of the system during the break between any two successive missions, the optimal selective maintenance strategy needs to be determined for a system performing successive missions. A number of selective maintenance models were set up on the basis that the durations of each mission are predetermined, the maintenance time is negligible, and the states of the components at the end of the previous mission can be accurately obtained. However, in the actual industrial and military missions, these premises may not always hold. In this paper, a novel selective maintenance model under uncertainties and limited maintenance time is proposed to improve these deficiencies. The genetic algorithm is selected to solve the optimization problem, and an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the proposed method. The optimal selective maintenance decision without the constraint of maintenance time is used for comparison.

Selective maintenance of multi-state series systems considering maintenance quality uncertainty and failure effects

In order to improve the lifetime and reliability of equipment operation stage, it is necessary to carry out maintenance for components. The typical selective maintenance model does not consider the maintenance quality uncertainty and the failure effects, which may make the decision-maker overestimates the reliability of completing the next task after system maintenance, resulting in incorrect maintenance decision and prone to serious consequences of failure. In this paper, the potential discrepancy between the target maintenance quality and the actual maintenance quality of the decision maker is considered. At the same time, a multi-state FMECA is proposed to measure the failure effects under different states. Finally, the selective maintenance model of the multi-state series systems is established and solved by the genetic algorithm. The results show that considering the effect of component failure and the uncertainty of maintenance quality has an influence on maintenance decision. The maintenance decision made in this way is more consistent with the engineering practice.

Neutrosophic fuzzy goal programming approach in selective maintenance allocation of system reliability

Selective maintenance problem plays an essential role in reliability optimization decision-making problems. Systems are a configuration of several components, and there are situations the system needs small intervals or break for maintenance actions, during the intervals expert carried out the maintenance actions to replace or repair the deteriorated components of the systems. Because of the uncertainty associated with the component’s operational time, failure, and next mission duration create a new challenge in determining optimal components allocation and evaluating future missions successfully. In this paper, a multi-objective selective maintenance allocation problem is formulated with fuzzy parameters under neutrosophic environment. A new defuzzification technique is introduced based on beta distribution to convert fuzzy parameters into crisp values. The neutrosophic goal programming technique is used to determine the compromise allocation of replaceable and repairable components based on the system reliability optimization. A numerical illustration is used to validate the model and ascertain its effectiveness. The result is compared with two other approaches and found to be better. The method is flexible and straightforward and can be solved using any available commercial packages. The extension of the concept can be useful to other complex system reliability optimization.