Advanced failure rate and distribution network reliability modelling as part of network planning software

Due to regulation power quality and reliability issues are now one of the major concerns in network management business. Many utilities endeavour to rationalize their network operations and optimize total life cycle costs of their network components without endangering the reliability and safety of the network. New type of modelling methods which utilise collected network information more effectively can help utilities in managing this kind of asset management problems. One type of enhanced asset management tool can be based on distribution network reliability analysis. Failure rate models used in traditional reliability analysis are based on constant failure rate without any consideration of operational stresses and environmental factors of the network components. In the paper an advanced failure rate modelling is depicted. As a basis for the modelling, a large amount of failure data with accurate environmental information from various network utilities has been collected and analysed. Failure rate model together with the distribution network reliability and cost analysis has been implemented as a part of the distribution network planning software, which is also shortly depicted in this paper