Availability, MTTF and cost analysis of complex system under preemptive‐repeat repair discipline using Gumbel‐Hougaard family copula
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management
ISSN: 0265-671X
Article publication date: 25 May 2010
Abstract
Purpose
The main aim of this paper is to improve reliability characteristics namely availability, mean time to failure (MTTF), and expected profit of a complex system.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper discusses the availability of a complex system, which consists of two independent repairable subsystems A and B in (1‐out‐of‐2: F) and (1‐out‐of‐n: F) arrangement respectively. Subsystem A has two identical units arranged in parallel redundancy (1‐out‐of‐2: G), subsystem B has n units in series (1‐out‐of‐n: F) with two types of failure, namely, partial and catastrophic. Except at two transitions where there are two types of repair namely exponential and general possible. The failure and repair time for both subsystems follow exponential and general distributions respectively. The model is analysed under “preemptive‐repeat repair discipline” where A is a priority and B is non‐priority.
Findings
By employing supplementary variable technique, Laplace transformation and Gumbel‐Hougaard family copula various transition state probabilities, availability, MTTF and cost analysis (expected profit) are obtained along with steady‐state behaviour of the system. Inversions have also been carried out so as to obtain time dependent probabilities, which determine availability of the system at any instant.
Originality/value
This paper, through a systematic view, presents a mathematical model of a complex system from which the reliability characteristics namely availability, MTTF, and expected profit of a complex system can be improved.
Keywords
Citation
Ram, M. and Singh, S.B. (2010), "Availability, MTTF and cost analysis of complex system under preemptive‐repeat repair discipline using Gumbel‐Hougaard family copula", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 576-595. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656711011043544
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited