Application of Fuzzy Universal Generating Function in Reliability Assessment of Thermal Power Plants

Any practical engineering system is considered to be of superior quality if it has high reliability or the likelihood of proper operation over a specific time period. However, in most cases, it is a strenuous task to obtain precise data because of various shortcomings. Thus, fuzzy reliability forms an appropriate tool in such cases. Here, the fuzzy reliability and availability assessment are conducted on a thermal power plant model. The thermal power system is responsible for more than half of the world's power consumption demand and thus, they need to be of high quality and reliability. The system considered is a fuzzy multi-state system and all the variables involved are fuzzy variables represented by triangular fuzzy numbers. The fuzzy universal generating function (FUGF) technique is applied for the evaluation of fuzzy reliability and availability of the system.