A fuzzy simulation algorithm for estimating availability functions in time-dependent complex systems Online publication date: Sat, 31-Jan-2015
by Ali Azadeh, Vahid Ebrahimipour, Foad Ghoreishi
International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IJISE), Vol. 7, No. 4, 2011
Abstract: This paper introduces a fuzzy discrete-event simulation in order to estimate availability functions in time-dependent real systems, especially when insufficient data are available. Fuzzy numbers are used to describe uncertain activity durations (in this research failure/repair durations), reflecting vagueness, imprecision and subjectivity in the estimation of them. Specifically, this paper describes a general algorithm based on fuzzy simulation, which can be used to analyse a wide range of time-dependent complex systems, including those presenting multiple states, dependencies among failure/repair times or non-perfect maintenance policies even when insufficient data are available. The proposed algorithm is implemented for a Remote Telecommunications System by Visual SLAM simulation. It is also compared with conventional simulation to show its advantages and superiority. Furthermore, it can handle both crisp and non-crisp data for estimating availability functions in time-dependent complex systems.
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