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Author(s): M. T. Todinov
Abstract:
An algorithm and software implementation have been developed for a very fast
discrete-event simulator for determining the losses from failures in repairable
stochastic flow networks with converging flows from multiple sources.
This
paper shows that the computational speed related to determining the variation of
the flow through a stochastic flow network can be improved enormously if the
topology of the network is exploited directly.
The proposed method is based on
new results related to maximising the flow in networks with converging flows.
It
handles repairable networks with multiple sources of production flow,
multi-commodity flows, overlapping failures, multiple failure modes, redundant
components and redundant branches of components.
The simulator is capable of
tracking the cumulative distribution of the potential losses from failures
associated with the whole network and with each component in the network.
Finally, by using an exemplary stochastic flow network with converging flows, it
is demonstrated how the developed fast discrete-event simulator can be used for
revealing the distribution of the operational losses and identifying the
components with the largest contributions to the total losses from failures.
Keywords:
stochastic flow networks, reliability, availability, maximal flow, tree
topology, potential losses from failures.
1 Introduction:
At an abstract level, a repairable network with flows from multiple sources can
be presented as a number of sources connected to terminals (sinks) through
components characterised by flow capacities and time-to-failure distributions.
In
...
Pages: 10
Size: 497 kb
Paper DOI: 10.2495/RISK080361
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