Optimization for the Redundancy Allocation Problem of Reliability Using an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

This paper presents an enhanced and improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach to overcome reliability-redundancy allocation problems in series, series-parallel, and complex systems. The problems mentioned above can be solved by increasing the overall system reliability and minimizing the system cost, weight, and volume. To achieve this with these nonlinear constraints, an approach is developed based on PSO. In particular, the inertia and acceleration coefficients of the classical particle swarm algorithm are improved by considering a normal distribution for the coefficients. The new expressions can enhance the global search ability in the initial stage, restrain premature convergence, and enable the algorithm to focus on the local fine search in the later stage, and this can enhance the perfection of the optimization process. Illustrative examples are provided as proof of the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach. Results show that the overall system reliability is far better when compared with that of some approaches developed in previous studies for all three tested cases.