*Dept of Mechanical Engineering, U.I.E.T, Kurukshetra University Kuruksherta, India
**Dept of Mechanical, N.I.T Kurukshetra, India
***Dept of Mechanical, R.P. Engineering College, Karnal, India.
****Dept of Mechanical Engineering, N.I.T Kurukshetra, Haryana, India.
Online published on 12 November, 2011.
The paper discusses a Decision Support System for Skim Milk Powder Unit of an N.D.R.I. plant. The plant is comprised of various mechanical systems working in series and parallel configuration. The total plant is divided into many sections like Milk marketing section, Condensing and drying section, Cheese and butter section, Quality control section and Packaging section. The mathematical model of Skim Milk Powder Unit has been developed using Markov Birth – Death Process. The differential equations have been developed on the basis of probabilistic approach using transition diagram. These equations are further solved using normalizing conditions in order to develop the Steady State Availability, which is the measure of performance of a system concerned. The system performance has been further analyzed with the help of Decision Matrices. These matrices provide various Availability levels for different combinations of failures and repair rates for various subsystems. Furthermore, Decision Support System has also been developed based on Decision Matrices of Skim Milk Powder Unit of an N.D.R.I. plant. Failure and repair rates are assumed constant.
