A Strategy for Determination of Test Intervals of K-out-of-N Multi-Channel Systems

Abstract

State space models for determination of the optimal test frequencies for k-out-of-n multi channel systems are developed in this paper. The analytic solutions for the optimal surveillance test frequencies are derived using the Markov process technique. The solutions show that an optimal test frequency which maximizes the target probability can be determined by decomposing the system states to 3 states based on the system configuration and success criteria. Examples of quantification of the state probabilities and the optimal test frequencies of a threechannel system and a four-channel system with different success criteria are presented. The strategy for finding the optimal test frequency developed in this paper can generally be applicable to any k-out-of-n multi-channel standby systems that involve complex testing schemes.