A combination method for reliability–redundancy optimization

This study looks at the system reliability optimization problem under different resource and design configuration constraints by providing a new combination method. From the point of view of logistics engineering, reliability optimization applied in the initial system development period plays a key role to affect system maintenance planning, logistics requirements, and related costs during a system's planned life cycle. Generally, system reliability can be improved by increasing component reliability level or providing redundant components. Hooke–Jeeves pattern search and dynamic programming, applying dominating sequences are combined to develop a model for such a problem. Besides general design configuration and resource capacity constraints, some specific system and subsystem reliability performance constraints are also included in this model. The proposed combination method can be used to obtain the optimal allocations of component redundancy and reliability level by minimizing the total system cost. A couple of numerical examples for different system configurations are provided. The results show that this model can fit various types of problems and can be applied in the design process of system logistics engineering. Finally, the performance of this proposed method and other reliability–redundancy allocation approaches are closely compared and the results turn out to be promising in many aspects.