Optimal Age-Based Preventive Maintenance Policy for a System Subject to Cumulative Damage Degradation and Random Shocks

Abstract

This research investigates the problem of cumulative degradation and random shocks a system like a centrifugal pump may experience during normal and adverse operating conditions. An accelerated life testing method was employed to determine the degradation of the pump under cumulative damage degradation and random shocks conditions. An age- Based policy was used to determine the optimum time interval that will minimize the total expected cost of the system. The random shock increases the number of failures and hence reduces the reliability of the system. The total expected preventive maintenance cost obtained varies from N1700.00 (One thousand seven hundred naira) to N16,000.00 (sixteen thousand naira), depending on the shock and shock duration. The methodology presented is useful and thus recommended for use to study cumulative damage degradation and random shocks for similar systems.