Availability analysis and inspection optimisation for a competing-risk k-out-of-n: G system

The availability and cost rate for a maintained k-out-of-n: G system encountering multiple failure modes undergoing periodic inspection are studied in this paper. Explicitly, a k-out-of-n: G system with a functional state and N failure modes is taken into account. Failure time of each failure mode is random. At each inspection and on failure detection, perfect repairs are carried out. Some theorems on the point availability, limiting availability and long-run average cost rate are obtained in the study. A condition for determining the optimal inspection period for minimum long-run average cost rate is also studied. An illustration is taken to explain the results obtained in the proposed work.