Planning life tests with progressively Type-I interval censored data from the lognormal distribution

In this paper, we determine optimally spaced inspection times for the two-parameter lognormal distribution for any given progressive interval censoring plan. We investigate the effect of the number of inspections and the choice of those optimally spaced inspection times based on the asymptotic relative efficiencies of the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters. We also discuss the optimal progressive Type-I interval censoring plan when the inspection times and the expected proportions of total failures in the experiment are pre-fixed.     

Statistical Inference Based on Progressively Type II Censored Data from Weibull Model

In this article, we consider the problem of estimating the shape and scale parameters and predicting the unobserved removed data based on a progressive type II censored sample from the Weibull distribution. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches are used to estimate the scale and shape parameters. The sampling-based method is used to draw Monte Carlo (MC) samples and it has been used to estimate the model parameters and also to predict the removed units in multiple stages of the censored sample. Two real datasets are presented and analyzed for illustrative purposes and Monte carlo simulations are performed to study the behavior of the proposed methods.     

Asymptotic Comparison Between Constant-stress Testing and Step-stress Testing for Type-I Censored Data from Exponential Distribution

By running the life tests at higher stress levels than normal operating conditions, accelerated life testing quickly yields information on the lifetime distribution of a test unit. The lifetime at the design stress is then estimated through extrapolation using a regression model. In constant-stress testing, a unit is tested at a fixed stress level until failure or the termination time point of the test, while step-stress testing allows the experimenter to gradually increase the stress levels at some pre-fixed time points during the test. In this article, the optimal k-level constant-stress and step-stress accelerated life tests are compared for the exponential failure data under Type-I censoring. The objective is to quantify the advantage of using the step-stress testing relative to the constant-stress one. A log-linear relationship between the mean lifetime parameter and stress level is assumed and the cumulative exposure model holds for the effect of changing stress in step-stress testing. The optimal design point is then determined under C-optimality, D-optimality, and A-optimality criteria. The efficiency of step-stress testing compared to constant-stress testing is discussed in terms of the ratio of optimal objective functions based on the information matrix.     

Exact Inference for a Simple Step-stress Model with Generalized Type-I Hybrid Censored Data from the Exponential Distribution

In this article, the simple step-stress model is considered based on generalized Type-I hybrid censored data from the exponential distribution. The maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) of the unknown parameters are derived assuming a cumulative exposure model. We then derive the exact distributions of the MLEs of the parameters using conditional moment generating functions. The Bayesian estimators of the parameters are derived and then compared with the MLEs. We also derive confidence intervals for the parameters using these exact distributions, asymptotic distributions of the MLEs, Bayesian, and the parametric bootstrap methods. The problem of determining the optimal stress-changing point is discussed and the MLEs of the pth quantile and reliability functions at the use condition are obtained. Finally, Monte Carlo simulation and some numerical results are presented for illustrating all the inferential methods developed here.     

Exact Bayesian Variable Sampling Plans for the Exponential Distribution Based on Type-I and Type-II Hybrid Censored Samples

A sampling plan with a polynomial loss function for the exponential distribution is considered. From the distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator of the mean of an exponential distribution based on Type-I and Type-II hybrid censored samples, we obtain an explicit expression for the Bayes risk of a sampling plan with a quadratic loss function. Some numerical examples and comparisons are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and a robustness study reveals that the proposed optimal sampling plans are quite robust.