A Study in Equipment Replacement

A Study in optimum replacement of fork lift trucks is described, using two models. The first is related to minimum average costs per truck per year, the second uses the approach of discounted cash flow. The parameters used in these models include the purchase price, the resale value and the maintenance costs of the equipment. The effect of capital allowances for tax purposes is included.     

Equipment Replacement in an Unsteady Economy

The decision problem concerning the replacement of members of a fleet of fork lift trucks during a period of inflation and economic uncertainty is considered. Based upon the analysis of data collected over a 2 year period of considerable inflation, a model of the expected operating costs for a truck is developed. The usual replacement criteria are not applicable here and an alternative criterion function based upon relatively short term estimates of costs and discount rate is presented. Using this function, the replacement decision is determined for both constant and variable discount rate situations.     

An Economic Replacement Model

The report is based on a study of the replacement of Army vehicles. These vehicles are currently phased out of service by a system of decision rules called repair limits. Existing repair limit systems, although superior to group replacement policies, appear to be sub-optimum.A theory of repair limits is proposed. This leads to the determination of optimum repair limits by a simulation method. A second optimization method is introduced based on the use of certain frequency distributions which are found to represent the repair cost data.The results show that the methods proposed can be expected to lead to financial savings.     

A Robust Replacement Model with Applications to Medical Equipment

Perceived shortcomings in the applicability of capital equipment replacement modelling, identified in a 1987 survey within the UK are addressed and a robust replacement model formulated. First, however, a comparison between the 1987 survey and a similar 1988 survey undertaken within the USA is made and explanations for apparent differences in conclusions are presented. A replacement model is then developed in the context of medical equipment where factors such as service and risk play a role in replacement decision-making. A mechanism for quantitatively allowing for qualitative and for political type factors within a short time horizon replacement model is introduced by means of a penalty factor. A case example is presented for medical ventilator equipment.     

On a Replacement Problem of a Cumulative Damage Model

Items are assumed to fail only by degradation. An appropriate stochastic model of such items is a cumulative process in which an item can fail only when the total amount of damage exceeds a prespecified failure level. This paper introduces a replacement policy in which an item is replaced at a certain level of damage before failure or at failure, whichever occurs first. The optimum replacement level of damage which will minimize the total expected cost per unit of time for an infinite time span is obtained. A numerical example is also presented. The total expected cost for a finite time span is also discussed.     

A Mean Variance Approach to the Optimal Machine Maintenance and Replacement Problem

This paper considers a simultaneous maintenance and replacement problem under uncertainty. The effects of maintenance and deterioration are assumed to have a probabilistic effect (of the Markovian type) on a machine's salvage value. This leads to the definition of a non-stationary stochastic process of the machine's salvage value whose mean and variance evolutions are found. These evolutions together with an expected discounted profit functional (as that given by Thompson) allows us to apply the tools of optimal control theory to determine a "certainty-equivalent" maintenance program and the optimum replacement date of the machine. A discussion of the uncertain effects of deterioration and maintenance and managers attitudes towards risk is included as well.     

一个可修系统的最优更换模型

本文考虑了单部件、一个修理工组成的可修系统，在故障系统不能“修复如新”的前提下，我们利用几何过程，以系统年龄Ｔ为策略，选择最优的Ｔ使得系统经长期运行单位时间的期望效益达到最大．本文还在一定的条件下证明了最优更换策略Ｔ的唯一存在，且求出了系统经长期运行单位时间的最大期望效益的明显表达式．     

一可修系统的最优检测更新模型

本文研究了由一个部件和一个修理工组成的检测更新模型。部件不能“修复如新”。其寿命和修理时间均服从一般分布。在假设最大的修理次数为K—1的条件下,证明了最优检测时间T的存在,此时模型取得最大经济效益。     

An Inverse Heat Conduction Problem

In this paper, an inverse heat conduction problem will be considered. By reducing this inverse problem and using an overspecified condition, it is shown that the solution to the problem exists, and this solution is unique.AMS Subject Classification (2000): 45D05, 34A55     

An Unsolved Problem of Fenchel

The Fenchel problem of level sets is solved under the conditions that theboundaries of the nested family of convex sets in R^n>+1 aregiven by C³ n-dimensional differentiable manifolds and theconvex sets determine an open or closed convex set inRⁿ⁺¹.     

AN ELASTOPLASTIC PROBLEM WITH FRICTIONS

This looper discusses on elastoplastic problem with frictions given on a part of theboundary.Assuming that friction follows simplified Coulom's law,the author gives anexplicit relaxation of energy and proves that the solution exists.     

An Excluded-Minor Problem in Matroids

Consider the class of matroids M with the property that M is not isomorphic to a wheel graph, but has an element e such that both M\e and M/e are isomorphic to a series-parallel extension of a wheel graph. We give a constructive characterization of such matroids by determining explicitly the 3-connected members of the class. We also relate this problem with excluded minor problems.Received May 30, 2003     

An Experiment in Problem Formulation

In a recent paper (in Operational Research '81, North-Holland, 1981), the author put forward a methodology for problem-formulation. In order to test it, a group of teachers concerned with the introduction of a new, integrated operational research and systems analysis M.Sc. course agreed to accept the author as a consultant. The aim was to clarify and define their problem of developing and maintaining their new course. This paper describes the nature and course of the experiment. It comments on the difficulties that were encountered, and on the perceived benefits to the client-group and to the researcher.     

求解运输问题的一种算法

文章给出了运输问题的一种算法,该算法计算过程容易掌握,求解具有一次终止性