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• A robustness index considering cascading failures caused by failed units is proposed. • Robustness improvement by structure adjustment is studied for fixed characteristics. • TS with directed and undirected edge swap operators is designed to solve the problem. • A case study of structure adjustment for improving robustness in the HST is performed. • Robustness of the optimized HST is greatly enhanced and hardly affected by failures. To enhance the ability of a high-speed train (HST) to provide services under various adverse conditions, this paper studies robustness improvement of the HST by adjusting its structure. We model the HST as an interdependent machine-electricity-communication network (IMECN) composed of a machine network (MN), an electricity network (EN) and a communication network (CN), and propose a robustness metric of the IMECN subject to node failures considering failure propagation. Then, a robustness optimization model is constructed for structure adjustment. A Tabu search algorithm with directed and undirected edge exchange operators is designed to solve this problem. A case study on a practical HST is used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that robustness of the IMECN is significantly improved by structure adjustment. Furthermore, most nodes have little effect on robustness, and impact of failures on any node is minimized after optimization. In addition, in terms of topology, nodes with low and high degrees in the MN and CN reconnect with those with a similar degree, their clustering coefficients become larger, and closeness of all nodes in the subnetworks increases. Finally, adjusting the structures leads to a slight difference of loads in the EN and CN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high-speed train is modeled as an interdependent network. • A robustness metric is proposed based on network theory and practical factors. • Assessment and optimization models of resilience are constructed. • The tabu search algorithm is developed to solve the optimization problem. • The optimal repair strategy of failed units in the high-speed train is analyzed. High-speed trains (HSTs) are used to transport passengers to destinations efficiently and safely. However, when HST units fail, strategies for repairing them are not available. Hence, to optimize repair strategies, an interdependent network is used to model an HST, and a metric of resilience based on network theory is introduced. Based on practical factors, an interdependent machine–electricity–communication network (IMECN) and related cascading failure models are developed. Comprehensive robustness metrics for the IMECN and nodes are proposed considering the topology of networks and functional features of nodes. Accordingly, a resilience optimization model of the IMECN subject to disturbances is formulated and solved using a tabu search (TS) algorithm. Finally, a real-world HST is considered to analyze the optimal repair strategy for different numbers of failed nodes. Analysis results show that the recovery process under the optimal repair strategy has at most three stages. When a few nodes and less than half of the nodes fail, the highest and lowest resilience levels of the IMECN are achieved, respectively. Moreover, the characteristics of the preferentially repaired node in terms of importance, vulnerability, network type, and interdependency are analyzed. Results indicate that the optimal repair strategy is not necessarily determined by topological metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high-speed train is modeled based on network theory. • A multi-objective optimization model for identifying critical elements is proposed. • A novel importance metric of critical elements is designed. • The proposed model is verified by a practical high-speed train. • Critical nodes, intra-links and inter-links for a high-speed train are identified. This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization-based approach to identify critical elements, including units and interactions within and between systems, in a high-speed train (HST). In the framework, network theory is used to model the HST as an interdependent machine-electricity-communication network (IMECN) composed of a machine network (MN), an electricity network (EN) and a communication network (CN). Cascading failure models for the subnetworks and IMECN, and topological and functional metrics for robustness are developed. We then formulate a multi-objective optimization model for maximizing the impact of the failure of critical elements on the topological and functional robustness of the IMECN and minimizing their number. We use NSGA-II to solve the optimization problem. Considering a practical HST as a case study, we apply the multi-objective optimization framework to search the groups of critical nodes, intra-links and inter-links. The results show that critical nodes, intra-links and inter-links of the IMECN are within the MN and CN. In particular, end nodes of the critical intra-links and inter-links may also be critical, and the critical elements of subnetworks tend to also be critical for the IMECN. In addition, we find that the critical nodes, intra-links and inter-links are not related to their topological importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A complex electromechanical system is abstracted as a multi-layer and multi-state network. • A UGF-based method is presented to calculate the reliability of the complex electromechanical system. • A cascading failure model is proposed for quantifying the values of different performance states of the system. • The proposed model is illustrated by a practical high-speed train system. • The validity of the proposed method is verified through three cases. The large-scale adoption of complex electromechanical systems (CMESs) renders it challenging to perform reliability assessments for such systems. In terms of the reliability evaluation of CMESs, previous studies generally assume that only binary states exist within the systems. However, owing to the stochastic failures and various operating characteristics of the system components, not only the good/bad states but also the performance levels within the system should be taken into account when analyzing the reliability of CMESs. Hence, we abstract the CMES as a multi-layer and multi-state network in which minimum maintenance units (MMUs) and three types of connections constitute nodes and edges in different layers. Furthermore, multi-state models for different MMUs in the CMES are developed based on universal generating functions (UGFs). Aggregation operators are then utilized to aggregate these UGFs to obtain the multi-state models. Subsequently, a cascading failure model is introduced to incorporate MMUs into the system reliability assessment. Thus, the effects of the operating mechanism and topological attributes can be considered in the reliability evaluation of the CEMS. Finally, the CRHX high-speed train system is used as an example to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method in the reliability assessment of the CMES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]