Anisimov, V. V.Gürler, Ü.2016-02-082016-02-0820031060-0396http://hdl.handle.net/11693/24483A multicomponent system is investigated that consists of n identical unreliable components whose nonfailure operating time consists of a number of sequential phases with exponential times. A maintenance policy is studied that proposes the instant replacement of all the components as soon as the number of components that are in some doubtful state (before a failure) amounts to a predefined threshold value. A cost function averaged over a large period is studied. For a fixed n, an analytical approach is considered. If n increases, a new approximate analytical approach is proposed, which is based on results of the type of the averaging principle for recurrent semi-Markovian processes. The conditions of existence and properties of the optimal strategy are studied. An example is considered and possibilities of generalizations are discussed.EnglishApproximation theoryMaintenanceMarkov processesSequential switchingThreshold elementsApproximate analytical analysisMulticomponent systemsMultistate componentsRandom failuresRecurrent processes of the semi-Markov typeSwitching processesThreshold maintenance policyMulti agent systemsArticle10.1023/A:10257257245001573-8337