Nonstationary shock models

AbstractThis paper extends results obtained by Esary, Marshall and Proschan [10]. Life distribution properties of a device subject to shocks governed by a nonhomogeneous Poisson process are related to corresponding properties of the probability of failing after experiencing a given number of shocks. Physically motivated models are analyzed in which shocks cause damage to a set of components, the damages accumulate additively, and when the accumulated damage exceeds a critical threshold (possibly random) for any of the components, the device fails. Bounds are obtained on the moments of the life length of the device