Review of the redundancy allocation problem to optimize system reliability
Bowen Guan, Zhanhang Li, David W. Coit, Yan‐Fu Li
Abstract
In this survey article, the history and most important research contributions for the redundancy allocation problem (RAP) are reviewed. The goal for the redundancy allocation problem is to maximize reliability or minimize cost with a reliability constraint, by selecting and allocating redundant components to a system design. This article discusses various types of RAP problem and analyses the evolution of their modelling frameworks and solution methods. This article sequentially introduces various aspects involved in RAPs, including types of redundancy, uncertainty in component parameters, system reliability modelling in RAPs, solution methods for RAPs, and the integration of RAPs with other optimization problems. The analysis of system reliability modelling in RAPs and the integration of RAPs with other optimization problems have been highlighted, which are aspects often missing in other reviews. The article concludes with the challenges of RAPs and recommendations for future research directions in light of continuous advancements in systems engineering, data analysis and operations research.