Article ID: | iaor19962030 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 43 |
Issue: | 4 |
Start Page Number: | 589 |
End Page Number: | 602 |
Publication Date: | Jun 1996 |
Journal: | Naval Research Logistics |
Authors: | Stadje Wolfgang |
Keywords: | programming: dynamic |
The paper considers the problem of running a one-unit failure system such that the probability that the system is operating over an entire prespecified time interval (or at least at some time instant during the interval) is maximized. A fixed number of unused units having identically distributed random operating times are at the controller’s disposal. Simple assumptions are made on the stochastic failure mechanism. In particular, the time required to activate a unit for the system is supposed to be constant. Analyzing the associated dynamic programming equations yields closed-form solutions.