The Extended BITA-ZK Heuristic for Multi-type Component Assignment Problems under Parametric Uncertainty

The Multi-type Component Assignment Problem (MCAP) aims to find the optimal assignment of multiple types of components to positions in a system that maximizes system reliability. The existing works on MCAP often assume all components to be estimated by precise reliability values, which is not necessarily true in real-world problems. This paper first formulated the mathematical model for the MCAP under parametric uncertainty, where single-type and dual-type positions are placed in an alternating pattern. Then, the extended BITA-ZK heuristic is proposed to find a near optimal assignment. The proposed method is applied to an oil transportation system and numerous general systems to illustrate its applicability and effectiveness. The originality of this work lies in the simultaneous consideration of multi-type restrictions and parametric uncertainty of the component assignment problem.