Abstract: Aiming at the economic optimization of plant maintenance, a maintenance system optimize method based on workflow modeling and simulation is proposed, in which the maintenance system is described with a general stochastic petri net workflow model and the distribution hypothesis of transition time delay in the model is tested according to maintenance record. To overcome the limitations of analytical method the workflow simulation technology is introduced in performance computation of maintenance system, and long-time operation of the maintenance system is simulated with the aid of selective Artifex software. Relation between maintenance resource allocation and maintenance system performance is ascertained by analysis of simulation data on different resource conditions, which can be used to guide the improvement of the plant maintenance. Validity and feasibility of the method are verified by the successful application in a petrochemical company.

Key words: General stochastic petri net, Maintenance system, System optimization, Workflow modeling, Workflow simulation