Efficient availability assessment of reconfigurable complex multi-state systems with interdependencies

Complex topology, multi-state behaviour, component interdependencies and interactions with external phenomena are prominent attributes of many realistic systems. Analytical reliability evaluation techniques have limited applicability to such systems and efficient simulation models are therefore required. In this paper, we present a simulation framework to simplify the availability assessment of these systems. It allows tracking of changes in performance levels of components from which system performance is deduced by solving a set of flow equations. This framework is adapted to the availability modelling of an offshore plant with interdependencies, operated in the presence of limited maintenance teams and operational loops. The underlying principles of the approach are based on an extension of the load-flow simulation presented recently by the current authors (George-Williams & Patelli 2016)