Abstract:
The graph theoretical analysis and a graph’s characteristic polynomial are deployed as
the basis for a system approach employed to develop a model for estimating the reliability
index and evaluating the availability index for a coal-fired generating power
station. In this research, the coal-fired generating station system is divided into six subsystems.
Elementary to evaluating the reliability (estimate) of the said system is the
consideration of all the sub-systems and their interrelations. Approximate reliability
attributes of the graph are used to model the approximate reliability of the coal-fired
generating station. Sub-system reliability is represented by the nodes in the graph, and
the links represent the reliability of interrelations of these sub-systems. Computing a
graph’s characteristic polynomial using three different methods, namely, the linearly
independent cycles, the figure equation and the adjacent matrix, the approximate reliability
of the system is determined. Three methods are used, for comparison purposes,
as estimating reliability is always an imperfect endeavour. The methodology proposed
in this study is illustrated step-by-step with the help of examples.
