A computer algorithm for the analysis of maintained standby redundant systems

A computer algorithm is developed to analyse standby redundant systems with repair maintenance. The method is applicable to a generalized class of standby systems. Failure-time distributions of units need to be exponential whereas repair-times can follow general distributions. A large number of input parameters which may be of interest to system designers have been incorporated, e.g. repair efficiency, transfer switch failure, connect switch failure, preoccupied repair facility etc. The analysis procedure consists in defining a system model by writing different states and transitions between them. Once this is done, the underlying process is visualized as a semi-Markov process and various results from this theory are applied to develop a computer algorithm in FORTRAN IV for obtaining a fairly large number of system output parameters viz., mean-time-to-system failure, steady-state availability, expected number of visits to a state, expected profit rate of the system etc. Two examples are included to illustrate the usage of the procedure developed.