1-out-of-n standby systems with storages and activation moment-dependent component operation time limit

Abstract

This paper pioneers the modeling and optimization of a 1-out-of-n standby system with a required mission time and non-identical components, whose operation times are limited and dependent on their activation time and dynamic resource supply and storage units. Each component contains a main operating unit characterized by certain time-to-failure distribution and mode-dependent resource demands, a resource generator characterized by a time-varying resource generation rate, and a storage unit characterized by an initial amount of resource and the maximum capacity. The resource generator and storage interact collaboratively to supply the dynamic resource demand of the main unit. Based on an event transition probabilistic model, a new numerical algorithm is proposed for assessing the mission success probability (MSP) of the considered standby system. An optimization problem is further formulated and solved, which determines the activation sequence of standby components maximizing the MSP. A detailed case study of a standby sensor system with the photo-voltaic power supply source and battery storage is provided to demonstrate the proposed model and examine the effects of several system parameters on the MSP and optimization solutions. Several useful findings related to the MSP improvement are revealed from the case study.