Reliability Evaluation and Optimization of a System with Mixed Run Shock

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate a wear and mixed shock model in which the system can fail due to internal aging or external shocks. The lifetime of the system, due to internal wear, follows continuous phase-type (PH) distributions. The external random shocks arrive at the system according to a PH renewal process. The system will fail when the internal failure occurs or k1 consecutive external shocks, the size of at least d1 or k2 consecutive external shocks the size of at least d2 occur, where d1d2, k1>k2. The failed system can be repaired immediately, and the repair times of the system are governed by continuous PH distributions. The system can be replaced by a new and identical one based on a bivariate replacement policy (L,N). The long-run average profit rate for the system is obtained by employing the closure property of the PH distribution. Finally, a numerical example is also given to determine the optimal replacement policy.

Keywords

• competing failure processes
• mixed shock model
• phase-type distribution
• geometric process
• average profit rate