An optimal maintenance policy for deep submergence equipment, part 2

This report presents additional results obtained after the presentation of the report entitled, "An Optimal Maintenance Policy for Deep Submergence Equipment," at OCEAN 72. In the model of the deep submergence equipment, it is assumed the following assumptions hold: (1) the system deteriorates with time and finally fails to operate; (2) it is impossible either to repair the system or to observe its level of deterioration without bringing it to the surface; (3) even in a badly deteriorated state, the system can perform its function although with a substantial loss; (4) the observation and repair of the system are quite expensive because of assumption (2). The previous paper presented at OCEAN 72 deals with an optimal maintenance policy of the system for which the operating duration is assumed to be given and finite, while this report deals with one for infinite operating duration.