Innovative reliability allocation using the maximal entropy ordered weighted averaging method

Reliability allocation is one of the most important factors to consider when determining the reliability and competitiveness of a product. The feasibility-of-objectives (FOO) technique has become the current standard for assessing reliability designs for military mechanical-electrical systems, whereas the average weighting allocation method is widely used for commercial applications. However, assessment results are biased because these methods share two fundamental problems. The first problem is the measurement scale, while the second problem is that the system allocation factors are not equally weighted to one another. Both problems represent serious flaws from a technical perspective. To address these issues, we propose the use of the maximal entropy ordered weighted averaging (ME-OWA) method, which efficiently resolves the shortcomings of the FOO technique and the average weighting allocation method. As a comparative case study between the ME-OWA method and the two standards used in the military and commercially, this study evaluates reliability allocation in the context of a fighter aircraft airborne radar system. The results from this comparison show that the proposed method is both accurate and flexible. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.