Phased mission modelling of systems with maintenance-free operating periods using simulated Petri nets

Abstract

A common scenario in engineering is that of a system which operates throughout several sequential and distinct periods of time, during which the modes and consequences of failure differ from one another. This type of operation is known as a phased mission, and for the mission to be a success the system must successfully operate throughout all of the phases. Examples include a rocket launch and an aeroplane flight. Component or sub-system failures may occur at any time during the mission, yet not affect the system performance until the phase in which their condition is critical. This may mean that the transition from one phase to the next is a critical event that leads to phase and mission failure, with the root cause being a component failure in a previous phase. A series of phased missions with no maintenance may be considered as a Maintenance Free Operating Period (MFOP). This paper describes the use of a Petri net to model the reliability of the MFOP and phased missions scenario. The model uses a form of Monte-Carlo simulation to obtain its results, and due to the modelling power of Petri Nets, can consider complexities such as multi-mission periods, component failure rate interdependencies, and mission abandonment. The model operates three different types of Petri Net which interact to provide the overall system reliability modelling.

Application of a Reliability Model Generator to a Pressure Tank System

“…Each is necessary to model a different aspect of either the system or the mission. This approach of using distinctive PNs can be seen in the work of [6] and [7]. In this work the CPNs model the components' failure and repair.…”

Reliability Optimization Design of Submarine Free-Running Model Systems

“…Since the study on phased mission system reliability [2] was proposed in 1975, it has always been the focus in the field of system reliability. Now, there are already some researches on the reliability optimization of phased mission systems of different types [3][4][5]. This paper will regard submarine free-running model system as a non-repairable phased mission system to analyze the missions and structure of submarine free running model test system.…”

A Computer-aided Application for Modeling and Monitoring Operational and Maintenance Information in Mining Trucks

“…Usually, the maintenance tools are supported by Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), which facilitates the selection of the most appropriate policies to improve the physical assets to manage the consequences of their failure. The systematic studies proposed by RCM are usually based on techniques like Reliability Block Diagrams (RBDs) , Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA); Reliability Block Diagram (RBD); Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Reliability Graphics (RGs) (Muller et al, 2008), Petri Nets (PNs) (Chew et al, 2008). In this line, there are many alternatives to calculate the reliability of systems employing analytical techniques, such as Poisson, Weibull and Gamma model (Zio, 2009).…”