Redundancy allocation problems considering systems with imperfect repairs using multi-objective genetic algorithms and discrete event simulation

This paper considers a multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with discrete event simulation to solve redundancy allocation problems in systems subject to imperfect repairs In the multi-objective formulation system availability and cost may be maximized and minimized respectively the failure-repair processes of system components are modeled by Generalized Renewal Processes The presented methodology provides a set of compromise solutions that incorporate not only system configurations but also the number of maintenance teams The multi-objective GA is validated via examples with analytical solutions and shows its superior performance when compared to a multi-objective Ant Colony algorithm Moreover an application example is presented and a return of investment analysis is suggested to aid the decision maker in choosing a solution of the obtained set (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved