Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1994

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Industrial Engineering

Major Professor

D.H. Hutchinson

Committee Members

James Bontadelli, Denise Jackson

Abstract

This research tested, using a simulation model, a BASIC program written by John A. Owen for his Master of Science project in 1974 at the University of Tennessee. Owen's program uses numerical methods to develop estimates of a three parameter Weibull distribution. The primary objective of this research was to provide information regarding the accuracy of the estimates. A secondary objective was to provide information on how the Weibull program calculates the estimates.

The simulation used in the evaluation modeled Weibull failure data. Simulated data sets were used which covered a range of the three parameters, and censored as well as non-censored data sets were considered.

It was concluded that the estimates from Weibull are problematic, with widely varying accuracies. Weibull performed poorly on all alpha estimates, but better on all parameters at the higher end of the shape parameter range.

In addition it was discovered that Weibull is not a Maximum Likelihood Estimation method, because Owen did not include a check of the roots for a maximization.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS