Fuzzy Multiobjective Reliability Optimization Problem of Industrial Systems Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

The present work investigates the reliability optimization problem of the repairable industrial systems by utilizing uncertain, limited, and imprecise data. In many practical situations where reliability enhancement is involved, the decision making is complicated because of the presence of several mutually conflicting objectives. Moreover, data collected or available for the systems are vague, ambiguous, qualitative, and imprecise in nature due to various practical constraints and hence create some difficulties in optimizing the design problems. To handle these problems, this work presents an interactive method for solving the fuzzy multiobjective optimization decision-making problem, which can be used for the optimization decision making of the reliability with two or more objectives. Based on the preference of the decision makers toward the objectives, fuzzy multi-objective optimization problem is converted into crisp optimization problem and then solved with evolutionary algorithm. The proposed approach has been applied to the decomposition unit of a urea fertilizer plant situated in the northern part of India producing 1500–2000 metric tons per day.