Selective maintenance optimisation for series-parallel systems alternating missions and scheduled breaks with stochastic durations

This paper deals with the selective maintenance problem for a multi-component system performing consecutive missions separated by scheduled breaks. To increase the probability of successfully completing its next mission, the system components are maintained during the break. A list of potential imperfect maintenance actions on each component, ranging from minimal repair to replacement is available. The general hybrid hazard rate approach is used to model the reliability improvement of the system components. Durations of the maintenance actions, the mission and the breaks are stochastic with known probability distributions. The resulting optimisation problem is modelled as a non-linear stochastic programme. Its objective is to determine a cost-optimal subset of maintenance actions to be performed on the components given the limited stochastic duration of the break and the minimum system reliability level required to complete the next mission. The fundamental concepts and relevant parameters of this decision-making problem are developed and discussed. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the added value of solving this selective maintenance problem as a stochastic optimisation programme

Predictive Group Maintenance Model for Networks of Bridges

Recent progress in the monitoring and prediction of the condition of infrastructure using sensing technologies has motivated researchers and infrastructure owners to explore the benefits of asset predictive maintenance, as an alternative to reactive maintenance. However, the application of predictive group maintenance for multi-system multi-component networks (MSMCN) has not received much attention in the literature or in practice. The paper presents an approach that prioritizes the maintenance of MSMCN of bridges, using a deterioration model of components with uncertainty, a lifecycle cost model, a predictive model for the optimal time for maintenance based on the latest inspection, a group maintenance model to reduce setup cost, and a scheduling model considering budget constraints. This model has been applied to a network of 15 bridges constituted by multiple heterogeneous components, and, compared with the Structures Investment Toolkit, it showed potential for a substantial decrease in maintenance costs, thus highlighting the practical significance of the presented approach. EU H202

Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) system definition study

An executive summary of a study on the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) was presented. It was concluded that the overall costs of space systems could be reduced significantly by the development of a modular shuttle compatible standard spacecraft, and the use of that spacecraft with the Shuttle Transportation System. It was also demonstrated that the development of the standard spacecraft is feasible, desirable, and cost effective if applied to a series of missions. The ability to initially retrieve, refurbish, and reuse the spacecraft and its payload, and ultimately to perform in-orbit servicing, would result in significant cost savings. A number of specific conclusions and recommendations were also suggested

Selective wear of cuttings elements of working organs of tillage machines with realization of self-sharpening effect

The clause of strengthening of cuttings elements is conditioning and realization of such selforganization process as a self-sharpening. Sharpening of horizontal and vertical cuttings elements of working organs of tillage machines (CE WOTM) is considered in many works, but not found out the terms of realization and nature of these processes in a sufficient measure. The processes of sharpening and blunting of CE WOTM are related mainly to the processes of wear. The change of type of CE in the process of wear is conditioned mainly a size and character of tearing down each of its bevel and by volume of destruction of cutting edge in the process of exploitation in the medium of soil and depends on character of co-operation in tribosystem " WOTM -soil"

Selective maintenance for multi-state series-parallel systems under economic dependence

YesThis paper presents a study on selective maintenance for multi-state series-parallel systems with economically dependent components. In the selective maintenance problem, the maintenance manager has to decide which components should receive maintenance activities within a finite break between missions. All the system reliabilities in the next operating mission, the available budget and the maintenance time for each component from its current state to a higher state are taken into account in the optimization models. In addition, the components in series-parallel systems are considered to be economically dependent. Time and cost savings will be achieved when several components are simultaneously repaired in a selective maintenance strategy. As the number of repaired components increases, the saved time and cost will also increase due to the share of setting up between components and another additional reduction amount resulting from the repair of multiple identical components. Different optimization models are derived to find the best maintenance strategy for multi-state series-parallel systems. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization models. The decision makers may select different components to be repaired to different working states based on the maintenance objective, resource availabilities and how dependent the repair time and cost of each component are. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Vietnam International Education Development (VIED

Contextualizing context for synthetic biology--identifying causes of failure of synthetic biological systems.

Despite the efforts that bioengineers have exerted in designing and constructing biological processes that function according to a predetermined set of rules, their operation remains fundamentally circumstantial. The contextual situation in which molecules and single-celled or multi-cellular organisms find themselves shapes the way they interact, respond to the environment and process external information. Since the birth of the field, synthetic biologists have had to grapple with contextual issues, particularly when the molecular and genetic devices inexplicably fail to function as designed when tested in vivo. In this review, we set out to identify and classify the sources of the unexpected divergences between design and actual function of synthetic systems and analyze possible methodologies aimed at controlling, if not preventing, unwanted contextual issues