Journal of Quality Engineering and Management

Abstract Purpose: The objective of the present study is to determine an optimal configuration in terms of the type and number of components in order to maximize system availability and reduce costs, using an active redundancy allocation strategy, while considering load-sharing capability and the use of maintenance personnel under maintenance and leave policies, in the electrical power distribution system of a marine vessel. In the active redundancy strategy, all additional components and subsystems are operated simultaneously from the start of system operation, and the system fails only when all components have failed.
Methodology: In this study, a bi-objective model is developed for an electrical power distribution system with active redundancy in a marine vessel, where the first objective is minimization of total cost and the second objective is maximization of system availability. System behavior is simulated using a Markov chain and a phase-type distribution, and the model is solved using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). Failure of one component affects the failure rates of other components within the same subsystem, leading to an increase in their failure rates. In other words, the problem is analyzed under a load-sharing condition. A single repairman is considered for equipment repair. The maintenance and leave policy is defined such that if a component fails during the repairman’s leave period, the leave is terminated and repair of the failed component begins immediately. If another component fails while a component is under repair, it is placed in a repair queue, and the repairman starts repairing the next failed component immediately after completing the repair of the previous one. When the repairman is on leave and no component failure occurs, the repairman may resume the leave period.
Findings: The results of the study identify the optimal combination of the type and number of electrical power distribution panels in each subsystem of the vessel’s electrical power distribution system, aimed at increasing system availability and reducing costs through the use of active redundancy. In addition, the results provide the probability of the repairman being busy, which can support managerial decision-making regarding maintenance and leave policies.
Originality/Value: Considering the innovative aspects of the study, the results can be effectively used for engineering analyses, particularly in evaluating system availability, as well as for managerial analyses, including cost estimation and the allocation of maintenance personnel.

Abstract application of Reliability can be seen in many industrial, communication, In the early stages of system design, many system features such as reliability, weight, cost, and etc are associated with uncertainty due to various reasons such as lifespan, operational conditions, etc. Since the use of the probabilistic approach in solving reliability problems has limitations and can only be used in quantitative analysis of information and in many cases does not produce useful and sufficient results for experts, therefore the use of the approach Fuzzy is much more efficient for solving reliability optimization problems. One of the ways to optimize the reliability is to allocate redundancy. When using redundant components in a subsystem, how the redundant components are used is particular importance. In reliability-redundancy allocation problems, the reliability of components is not known in advance and is considered as a decision variable. In the current research, the reliability-redundancy allocation problem has been investigated with two active and cold-standby redundancy strategies and the triangular fuzzy number approach has been used in using the parameters of probability functions and reliability calculation in two model problems and an industrial system. Genetic algorithm has been used to solve the problem. In the implementation of the genetic algorithm, the the random, tournament and roulette wheel methods has been used to select parents and different types of mutation and crossover operators have been used to produce children. The results are more efficient than the results obtained from solving the deterministic model.

Abstract Today hidden costs and quality opportunities cost are two parameters not seriously considered in most organizations.in today's competitive world, loss of customers imposes important and significant costs on the organizations. therefor  in this study, in order to reduce the cost of total quality we present a method to calculate the cost of damage to customers ' goodwill and the cost of damage to the organization brand .In working out the cost of damage to the goodwill of customers, first the quality requirements as well as the weight assigned to each requirement is calculated. Having figured out the costs related to the discontented customers, we have embarked on finding out the loss rate damage to the customers' good faith and eventually the cost of damage to the customers' good will. In calculating the damage costs to the organization's brand, from among available models, the Acker model has been utilized which serves our purpose. Following the procedures given in the latter model, the parameters generating costs are identified and then the damage costs to the organization's brand is worked out. finally, the findings indicate that dissatisfied customers inflict the most damage on the organization. Finally, the methods and procedures suggested in the current research are implemented in a selected industry. The obtained results in the industry referred to were endorsed both by the industry's elite experts and academic authorities.