Fluid stochastic petri nets: Theory, applications, and solution techniques

TitleFluid stochastic petri nets: Theory, applications, and solution techniques
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1998
AuthorsG Horton, VG Kulkarni, DM Nicol, and KS Trivedi
JournalEuropean Journal of Operational Research
Volume105
Issue1
Start Page184
Pagination184 - 201
Date Published02/1998
Abstract

In this paper we introduce a new class of stochastic Petri nets in which one or more places can hold fluid rather than discrete tokens. We define a class of fluid stochastic Petri nets in such a way that the discrete and continuous portions may affect each other. Following this definition we provide equations for their transient and steady-state behavior. We present several examples showing the utility of the construct in communication network modeling and reliability analysis, and discuss important special cases. We then discuss numerical methods for computing the transient behavior of such nets. Finally, some numerical examples are presented and evidence of the accuracy of the fluid approximation is given. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

DOI10.1016/S0377-2217(97)00028-3
Short TitleEuropean Journal of Operational Research