Analysis of maintenance models’ parameters estimation for technical systems with delay time

In the article authors are interested in BIP performance for three-element system (“k-out-of-n” reliability structure), the maintenance policy which is one of most commonly used in practice. The BIP may be implemented in technical systems when some information about reliability characteristics is known. The basic reliability parameters that have to be specified in such systems are: an estimation of system components’ time to failure and some delay time characteristics. In order to determine the effects of possible errors and to specify sufficient accuracy of the estimation, the analysis of system costs was done for various values of the expected delay time, assuming three different probability distributions of the delay time (Weibull, Uniform, and Normal). The modelling process was based on the use of GNU Octave software. Test analysis of delay time parameter, assuming different types of probability distributions is the base to conclude: if the form of the distribution has any meaning for economic results of the system, and what kind of consequences may result from improper mean delay time estimation E(h).