Combination methods to solve the availability–redundancy optimisation problem for repairable parallel–series systems

Abstract

This study combines a new developed redundancy allocation heuristic approach, tabu search method, simulated annealing method and non-equilibrium simulated annealing method with a genetic algorithm to solve the system availability optimisation problem. Through four proposed combination methods applied in the initial system development period, the optimal allocations of component redundancy number, reliability level and maintenance rate can be obtained to minimise the total system cost under different configuration constraints. The sensitivity analysis is also conducted based on system weight, system volume, subsystem reliability requirement levels, the cost parameters associated with the reliability level and maintenance rate to provide very helpful information for the system design and development process. Finally, the performance comparison between four proposed combination availability optimisation methods is also implemented and the results clearly show that the combination method combining the new developed redundancy allocation heuristic approach with the genetic algorithm performs better than the other three combination methods in many aspects.

Keywords:

• availability
• redundancy allocation heuristic approach
• genetic algorithm, tabu search
• simulated annealing
• non-equilibrium simulated annealing

Acknowledgements

The author appreciates the editors and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported in part by the National Science Council (NSC) [grant number NSC 101-2410-H-262-002] of Taiwan.

Notes on contributors

Gia-Shie Liu

Gia-Shie Liu was born in Taoyuan County of Taiwan on 8 July 1964. He received his MS and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Operations Research and Operations Management, Case Western Reserve University, USA, in 1998. He was an assistant professor of the Department of Business Administration at the Management College of National Defense University of Taiwan from 1998 to 2006. Then, he became an assistant professor of the Department of Information Management at Lunghwa University of Sciences and Technology of Taiwan from 2006 to 2012. Now he is an associate professor of the Department of Information Management at Lunghwa University of Sciences and Technology of Taiwan. His current research focused on the field of maintenance policies, reliability optimisation, availability optimisation, logistics engineering and management, multiple-criteria decision-making and the location and routing–inventory problem.