ESTIMATION OF RELIABILITY OF STRESS-STRENGTH MODEL WITH NONIDENTICAL COMPONENT STRENGTHS

An attempt has been made in this paper to estimate the reliability of an s-out-of-k system with non-identical component strengths when compo nent strengths follow an exponential distribution. A further assumptio n is made that all the components are subjected to a common random str ess which also follow an exponential distribution. Bayes and maximum l ikelihood estimators of such system reliability are considered. A Baye s estimate is obtained by using Lindley's approximation. Comparisons a re made on the basis of efficiency and Pitman nearness probability thr ough a Monte-Carlo study. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.