An evaluation system of the setting up of predictive maintenance programmes

Predictive Maintenance can provide an increase in safety, quality and availability in industrial plants. However, the setting up of a Predictive Maintenance Programme is a strategic decision that until now has lacked analysis of questions related to its setting up, management and control. In this paper, an evaluation system is proposed that carries out the decision making in relation to the feasibility of the setting up. The evaluation system uses a combination of tools belonging to operational research such as: Analytic Hierarchy Process, decision rules and Bayesian tools. This system is a help tool available to the managers of Predictive Maintenance Programmes which can both increase the number of Predictive Maintenance Programmes set up and avoid the failure of these programmes. The Evaluation System has been tested in a petrochemical plant and in a food industry.     

基于物元分析和层次分析的选厂综合性能评估

利用物元分析法和层次分析法的特点，将物元分析和层次分析法有机的结合起来建立选厂性能综合评估模型，建立的评估模型表明该评估方法能够克服传统方法中参评人员的主观不确定性和认识上的模糊性，可用于选厂有关指标的综合评估。     

A multi-objective programming model for scheduling emergency medicine residents

Scheduling emergency medicine residents (EMRs) is a complex task, which considers a large number of rules (often conflicting) related to various aspects such as limits on the number of consecutive work hours, number of day and night shifts that should be worked by each resident, resident staffing requirements according to seniority levels for the day and night shifts, restrictions on the number of consecutive day and night shifts assigned, vacation periods, weekend off requests, and fair distribution of responsibilities among the residents. Emergency rooms (ERs) are stressful workplaces, and in addition shift work is well-known to be more demanding than regular daytime work. For this reason, preparing schedules that suit the working rules for EMRs is especially important for reducing the negative impact on shift workers physiologically, psychologically, and socially. In this paper, we present a goal programming (GP) model that accommodates both hard and soft constraints for a monthly planning horizon. The hard constraints should be adhered to strictly, whereas the soft constraints can be violated when necessary. The relative importance values of the soft constraints have been computed by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which are used as coefficients of the deviations from the soft constraints in the objective function. The model has been tested in the ER of a major local university hospital. The main conclusions of the study are that problems of realistic size can be solved quickly and the generated schedules have very high qualities compared to the manually prepared schedules, which require a lot of effort and time from the chief resident who is responsible for this duty.     

A multi-criterion interaction-oriented model with proportional rule for designing supply chain networks

Supply chain management has offered a way to improve the industrial environment becomes more competitive. While, the commonly seen methodologies may be effective in solving the production–distribution problem only from supplier- or customer-oriented consideration, those cannot present the interactive relationship between upstream and downstream enterprises. In the competitive semiconductor industry environment, considering the viewpoints of the supplier and consumer simultaneously is particularly required, because multiple manufacturing and demanding steps are performed at separate situations, concurrently. In this paper, we propose an interaction-oriented approach, which bases on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology and proportional rule, to solve the semiconductor distribution problem with multiple quantitative and qualitative criteria. The developed approach gives an expected satisfaction for the all participators of the whole chain while the cooperative information is shared perfectly and effectively. Analysis results demonstrate the proposed methodology is efficient and effective through a real world case study.     

Recognizing the importance of scale in the ecology and management of riverine fish

Processes affecting fish populations range in scale from local to global. Fish response is also scale‐dependent, with some activities varying locally while others depend on large‐scale connectivity within or between watersheds. These issues are still only partly recognized, with large‐scale research often affected by non‐independent sampling, weak inference, poor model testing or model over‐extrapolation. Available multi‐scale studies can reach different conclusions about factors affecting fishes from local studies, but results vary between examples. Potential explanations are (i) effects on fishes are context‐dependent; (ii) different species or life‐stages are limited in different ways; (iii) multi‐scale studies are too few for generalization. We advocate improved use of geostatistical tools to guide sampling or interpret the spatial extent of management problems, and we illustrate this using brown trout in Welsh streams. Our strongest recommendation is that fish ecologists recognize the importance of interactions across scales in quantifying effects on fishes so that management decisions can be better based on evidence rather than judgement or extrapolation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Video Server cost/performance Estimator tool

The Video Server Estimator (VSE) is an analytical tool which allows a user to perform a cost/performance analysis of video servers with hierarchical storage. The underlying model comprises multiple systems, main memory, expanded storage, disks and a tape library. The main objective of the tool is to optimally allocate the video files to different storage media based on the system parameters and the video file request probability distribution. The cost and the size of the video server that can accommodate a customer profile are determined. Furthermore, the impact of design parameters on the cost and performance are examined through a parametric analysis.     

A method for the efficient prioritization of infrastructure renewal projects

The infrastructure renewal program at MIT consists of a large number of projects with an estimated budget that could approach $1 billion. Infrastructure renewal at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the process of evaluating and investing in the maintenance of facility systems and basic structure to preserve existing campus buildings. The selection and prioritization of projects must be addressed with a systematic method for the optimal allocation of funds and other resources. This paper presents a case study of a prioritization method utilizing multi-attribute utility theory. This method was developed at MIT's Department of Nuclear Engineering and was deployed by the Department of Facilities after appropriate modifications were implemented to address the idiosyncrasies of infrastructure renewal projects and the competing criteria and constraints that influence the judgment of the decision-makers. Such criteria include minimization of risk, optimization of economic impact, and coordination with academic policies, programs, and operations of the Institute. A brief overview of the method is presented, as well as the results of its application to the prioritization of infrastructure renewal projects. Results of workshops held at MIT with the participation of stakeholders demonstrate the feasibility of the prioritization method and the usefulness of this approach.     

基于极限学习机的堤防工程多元风险指标评价方法

为提高堤防工程风险评价的准确性,提出了基于极限学习机的堤防工程多元风险指标评价方法。首先,综合考虑影响堤防风险的28个评价指标,利用层次分析法从预警系统、堤防工程系统、环境系统和社会经济系统这4个方面建立了堤防工程多元风险评价指标体系。接着,基于极限学习机算法对28个指标进行标准化处理及分级标准构建,以风险指标作为输入量,分级隶属度作为输出量,划分风险等级,量化评价指标,估计多元风险评价指标值和判断风险的严重程度。最后,依托鄱阳湖重点堤防——康山大堤,构建多元风险评价指标体系,运用极限学习机算法计算多元风险评价指标值。评价结果表明:康山大堤目前处于基本安全水平,符合康山大堤经过两次加固后的工程实际情况,并与其他方法进行对比,验证了提出方法的可靠性和有效性。该方法可拓展应用到其他重要水工结构工程风险评估中。     

基于级差最大化组合赋权法的地下水功能评价

针对地下水功能评价中单独采用主观赋权法或客观赋权法存在的问题,结合二者的优点,采用基于主观赋权的层次分析法与客观赋权的熵权法相结合的级差最大化组合赋权法评价地下水功能,并通过计算不同赋权方法权重结果与平均值的相对偏差来衡量级差最大化组合赋权法的准确性。将该方法应用于伊犁河谷西北部平原区浅层地下水功能评价,评价结果基本符合评价区实际情况,验证了该评价方法在地下水功能评价中的可行性。