Opportunistic replacement in a deterministic environment (Q1085044)

An opportunistic replacement problem dealing with life-limited parts is analyzed. Because of prohibitively high costs of unscheduled breakdowns, life-limits on system components, e.g. nuclear fusion power systems, may be set so low as to insure performance during allotted life span. If two components with different life-limits are present, each individual scheduled replacement point offers potential opportunity for monetary savings. It is proved that in this deterministic situation only a limited number of the possible replacement points need be considered. An algorithm to generate these points is given and the computational requirements are discussed.