Media type: E-Article Title: Reliability of linear multistate multiple sliding window systems Contributor: Levitin, Gregory imprint: Wiley, 2005 Published in: Naval Research Logistics (NRL) Language: English DOI: 10.1002/nav.20063 ISSN: 0894-069X; 1520-6750 Keywords: Management Science and Operations Research ; Ocean Engineering ; Modeling and Simulation Origination: Footnote: Description: <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This paper proposes a new model that generalizes the linear consecutive <jats:italic>k</jats:italic>‐out‐of‐<jats:italic>r</jats:italic>‐from‐<jats:italic>n:F</jats:italic> system to multistate case with multiple failure criteria. In this model (named linear multistate multiple sliding window system) the system consists of <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> linearly ordered multistate elements (MEs). Each ME can have different states: from complete failure up to perfect functioning. A performance rate is associated with each state. Several functions are defined for a set of integer numbers ρ in such a way that for each <jats:italic>r</jats:italic> ∈ ρ corresponding function <jats:italic>f</jats:italic><jats:sub><jats:italic>r</jats:italic></jats:sub> produces negative values if the combination of performance rates of <jats:italic>r</jats:italic> consecutive MEs corresponds to the unacceptable state of the system. The system fails if at least one of functions <jats:italic>f</jats:italic><jats:sub><jats:italic>r</jats:italic></jats:sub> for any <jats:italic>r</jats:italic> consecutive MEs for <jats:italic>r</jats:italic> ∈ ρ produces a negative value. An algorithm for system reliability evaluation is suggested which is based on an extended universal moment generating function. Examples of system reliability evaluation are presented. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.</jats:p>