Reliability Optimization and Importance Analysis of Circular-Consecutive k-out-of-n System

Abstract EN

The circular-consecutive k-out-of-n:F(G) system (Cir/Con/k/n:F(G) system) usually consists of n components arranged in a circle where the system fails (works) if consecutive k components fail (work).

The optimization of the Cir/Con/k/n system is a typical case in the component assignment problem.

In this paper, the Birnbaum importance-based genetic algorithm (BIGA), which takes the advantages of genetic algorithm and Birnbaum importance, is introduced to deal with the reliability optimization for Cir/Con/k/n system.

The detailed process and property of BIGA are put forward at first.

Then, some numerical experiments are implemented, whose results are compared with two classic Birnbaum importance-based search algorithms, to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of BIGA in Cir/Con/k/n system.

Finally, three typical cases of Cir/Con/k/n systems are introduced to demonstrate the relationships among the component reliability, optimal permutation, and component importance.