World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology

International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Vol:6, No:4, 2012

Techniques for Reliability Evaluation in

Distribution System Planning
T. Lantharthong, N. Phanthuna

Abstract—This paper presents reliability evaluation techniques At present, in many electric utilities, acceptable levels of
which are applied in distribution system planning studies and service continuity are determined by comparing the actual
operation. Reliability of distribution systems is an important issue in interruption frequency and duration indices with arbitrary
power engineering for both utilities and customers. Reliability is a targets. For example, monthly reports on service continuity
key issue in the design and operation of electric power distribution statistics produced by many utilities contain the arbitrary
systems and load. Reliability evaluation of distribution systems has targets of system reliability indices for performance
been the subject of many recent papers and the modeling and
comparison purposes. It has long been recognized especially
evaluation techniques have improved considerably.
in the deregulated market environment that rules of thumb and
Keywords—Reliability Evaluation, Optimization Technique, implicit criteria cannot be applied in a consistent manner to
Reliability Indices the very large number of capital and maintenance investment
and operating decisions that are routinely made. Though some
reliability programs with limited capabilities are available,
International Science Index, Electrical and Computer Engineering Vol:6, No:4, 2012 waset.org/Publication/6919

I. INTRODUCTION
virtually no utilities perform distribution system expansion
T HE basic function of an electrical power system is to meet
its customers while maintaining acceptable levels of
quality and continuity of supply [1]. It is important to note that
studies using probabilistic models.
Distribution utilities are required only to furnish historical
distribution system performance indices to regulatory agencies
the distribution system is a vital link between the bulk power [2]. Reliability evaluation and maintenance planning
system and its customers. In many cases, these links are radial techniques have separately been well developed, for example
in nature that makes them vulnerable to customer interruptions [4]-[7], However, few techniques relate system reliability to
due to a single outage event. A radial distribution circuit component maintenance. Furthermore, the available
generally uses main feeders and lateral distributors to supply techniques are not generally put into practice. The reason for
customer energy requirements. In the past, the distribution this, according with the authors, is the lack of suitable input
segment of a power system received considerably less data and a reluctance to use theoretical tools to address the
attention in terms of reliability planning compared to practical problem of maintenance planning [8]. A great
generation and transmission segments. The basic reason problem encountered in the area of distribution systems is how
behind this is the fact that generation and transmission to reduce the number of interruptions experienced by
segments are very capital intensive, and outages in these customers. At first, these reductions can be obtained with the
segments can cause widespread catastrophic economic substitution of the equipment with the high failure rates and by
consequences for society [2]. increasing the maintenance staff. Usually, these are very
An electric power system comprises generation, expensive solutions. The automation of the protection has
transmission and distribution. It is also necessary to ensure a proven to be a feasible and efficient alternative to solve this
reasonable balance in the reliability of these various problem [9]. A reliability evaluation can be used to evaluate
constituent parts [3]. Electric power distribution systems past performance and predict future performance of the
constitute the greatest risk to the interruption of power supply distribution system. A reliability evaluation study can also
[4]-[6]. It has been reported in the literature that more than identify the problematic components in the system that can
80% of all customer interruptions occur due to failures in the impact reliability. The reliability study can also help to predict
distribution system. The distribution segment has been the the reliability performance of the system after any expansion
weakest link between the source of supply and the customer and quantify the impact of adding new components to the
load points. Though a single distribution system reinforcement system. The number and locations of new components needed
scheme is relatively inexpensive compared to a generation or a to improve the reliability indices to certain limits can be
transmission improvement scheme, an electric utility normally identified and studied [10].
spends a large sum of capital and maintenance budget
collectively on a huge number of distribution improvement II. RELIABILITY INDICES SYSTEM
projects [2].
Reliability indices of an electric distribution system are
functions of factors such as component failures, repairs and
restoration times which are random by nature. These indices
are, therefore, random variables and can be described by
Thong Lantharthong is with the Department of Electrical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, probability distributions. The mean values of the probability
Bangkok, 10800, Thailand. (phone: 662 913-2424 ext.150; fax: 662 913-2424 distributions associated with the reliability indices are very
ext.151; e-mail: [email protected]). useful and conventional reliability analysis is normally only
Nattapong Phanthuna is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, concerned with these values. There is, however, an increased
Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, awareness of the need to evaluate parameters which give
Bangkok, 10800, Thailand. (phone: 662 913-2424 ext. 150; fax: 662 913-2424
ext. 151; e-mail: [email protected]).

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(4) 2012 405 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/6919
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vol:6, No:4, 2012

information regarding the variation of the indices around their These review papers have provided a general background of
mean value [4]. reliability research in Distribution System. The concept of
The basic distributed system reliability indices at a load segments, which has been applied in previous reliability
point are average failure rate λ, average outage duration r, and studies, is used in the DG placement [13]. The optimum
annual outage duration U. With these three basic load point locations are sought for time-varying load patterns. It is shown
indices, the following system reliability indices can be that the circuit reliability is a function of the loading level. The
calculated [4]. difference of DG placement between optimum efficiency and
optimum reliability varies under different load conditions.
Average interruption frequency index (SAIFI)
Observations and recommendations concerning DG placement
l iNi for optimum reliability and efficiency are provided. In [14]
SA IFI = å Ni
(1) presents a reliability model for determining the DG
equivalence to a distribution facility for use in distribution
System average interruption duration index (SAIDI) system planning studies in the new competitive environment.
Impacts of DG implementation on distribution system
Ui N i reliability are investigated using a distribution test system. A
SA IDI = å (2) reliability model for DG is developed and an analytical
Ni
probabilistic approach is proposed for this purpose. Impacts of
Customer average interruption duration index (CAIDI) different parameters such as components failure rates, load
International Science Index, Electrical and Computer Engineering Vol:6, No:4, 2012 waset.org/Publication/6919

and DG positions and DG generation parameters are included

Ui N i in the analysis [15].
CA IDI = å (3) In [16] is a new alternative in limiting the fault current
l iNi
recently increasing in a network. An evaluation technique for
Average service availability index (ASAI) distribution reliability that uses the improved failure rate of all
protective devices in a network, depending on the location of
å N i ´ 8760 - å Ui N i the superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL), is also
A SA I = (4) proposed. As a result, it is expected that the SFCL makes the
å N i ´ 8760 reliability of adjacent equipment on an existing network
improve, and these changes are analyzed. In addition, in order
Average service unavailability index (ASUI)
to apply the effect of the intermittent output of renewable-
energy sources, distribution reliability indices were redefined.
A SUI = 1 - A SA I =
å Ui N i
(5) Case studies verify that the SFCL is effective in reducing fault
å N i ´ 8760 currents and improving distribution reliability. These effects
are analyzed with respect to the location of the SFCL in a case
Energy not supplied index (ENS) study system.
(6) P. Wang and R. Billinton [17] presented the system
ENS = å La (i )U i reliability benefits of adding wind turbine generation (WTG)
as alternative supply in a rural distribution system. The wind
Average energy not supplied index (AENS) generation interrupted energy benefit (WGIEB), the wind
generation interruption cost benefit (WGICB), the equivalent
A ENS =
å La (i )U i number of conventional generators (ENCG) and the equivalent
(7) conventional generator capacity (ECGC) of one MW WTG
å Ni
are introduced. These indices provide direct reliability benefit
III. RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT IN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM indicators on the addition of WTG, and are important information
for system planners to make planning decisions such as the
A. Distributed Generation (DG) selection of a wind site and the number of WTG. A test rural
The nature of today’s distribution grids is changing from distribution system is utilized to illustrate the proposed technique.
passive to active. The penetration level of distributed The effects on the system reliability benefits of the wind site
generation units (DG units) is increasing and it is expected selection and the number of wind units are investigated [18].
that this growth will continue over the next years. At the Increasing exploitation of wind energy requires the
moment not only the number of DG units is increasing, but development of adequate models and techniques for reliability
also, in specific areas, the size of the units. In this way, in the assessment of wind farms (WFs) and of electric power
near future, the DG may contribute in a substantial part of the systems including wind energy conversion systems. A novel
power generation. DG technologies can be categorized in approach to WF modeling is investigated for reliability
renewable and nonrenewable [11]. Examples of renewable assessment, which is based on the universal generating
technologies are, e.g., solar, wind, and geothermal, while functions. Such an approach combines the use of the z-
examples of nonrenewable technologies are internal transform and composition operators, allowing to account for
combustion engines, microturbines, and fuel cells. Two most all the factors affecting the WF performance. The results, both
popular and widely used DG schemes are [12]. theoretical and numerical, of the case study, give evidence of
• Wind turbines. the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of
• Combined heat and power (CHP) plants. accuracy as well as of flexibility and efficiency of the solving

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(4) 2012 406 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/6919
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vol:6, No:4, 2012

algorithm. L. Wang [19] presents an alternative option, four H. Kim, [24] illustrates the effects of aging in reliability
representative population-based intelligent search (PIS) modeling. To implement the history of working and failure of
procedures including genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm system, stochastic point process modeling based on sequential
optimization (PSO), artificial immune system (AIS), and ant Monte Carlo simulation is proposed. In the proposed method,
colony system (ACS) are adopted to search the meaningful the concept of thinning is used for non-homogeneous poisson
system states through their inherent convergence mechanisms. process characterization of lifetime of aging components. This
These most probable failure states contribute most simulation technique is applied to the single area IEEE radial
significantly to the adequacy indices including loss of load distribution system and the results are compared.
expectation (LOLE), loss of load frequency (LOLF), and The physical environment in which a transmission and
expected energy not supplied (EENS). The proposed solution distribution system resides has a significant impact on the
methodology is also compared with the Monte Carlo resulting reliability of the network. The inclusion of weather
simulation through conceptual analyses and numerical conditions in the reliability analyses of transmission and
simulations. In this way, some qualitative and quantitative distribution systems is discussed [25]. A series of weather
comparisons are conducted. A modified IEEE Reliability Test models is presented with application to a practical
System (IEEE-RTS) is used in this investigation. transmission/distribution system. The conventional approach
to predictive reliability assessment using single-and two-state
B. Modeling of Distribution System weather models is briefly illustrated.
Modeling the component reliability for representative A three-state weather model is presented to incorporate
International Science Index, Electrical and Computer Engineering Vol:6, No:4, 2012 waset.org/Publication/6919

electrical components due to electrical stress, mechanical failures occurring in major adverse weather conditions. The
stress, temperature and time, which takes general aging system reliability indices obtained using the weather models
mechanisms of insulating materials into consideration; clearly show the need to incorporate weather effects into
proposed models provide reliability estimates, e.g. failure reliability analyses. Results obtained without weather
probability and failure rate for distribution systems. These considerations can be quite misleading and optimistic. In [26]
models can be not only parameterized with a great deal of presents reliability modeling and analysis of an HVDC
statistical data but also determined by aging tests and transmission system incorporating a voltage-sourced converter
(VSC) tapping station. The use of VSC tapping stations
breakdown tests being available for the probabilistic
enables the supply of power along the route to areas with
assessment [20]. Our results imply that the assessment
comparatively little consumption. Using this equivalent
approach for component reliability will motivate a need for
reliability model, various reliability indices are calculated at
reasonable and accurate data at an early decision-making stage
the load point of the system and the impacts of the VSC
in future deregulation of electric power market. R. E. Brown tapping station on these indices are illustrated. Sensitivity
[21] presents a new method, termed Hierarchical Markov analyses are conducted to investigate the impacts of the load
Modeling (HMM), which can perform predictive distribution level and the location of the tapping station on the reliability
system reliability assessment. HMM is unique in that it indices.
decomposes the reliability model based on system topology, The conducted studies are numerically applied on a typical
integrated protection systems, and individual protection HVDC system and thorough discussions are presented. R. E.
devices. This structure, which easily accommodates the effects Brown [27] examines three aspects of substation reliability
of backup protection, fault isolation, and load restoration, is modeling. It first compares substation reliability models of
compared to simpler reliability models. HMM is then used to varying complexity. It then performs a sensitivity analysis of
assess the reliability of an existing utility distribution system substation reliability to component reliability parameters. Last,
and to explore the reliability impact of several design it develops an equivalent distribution substation model that
improvement options. W. Li, and et al. [22] presents a new can be used with feeder reliability models to compute overall
method for load modeling in power system reliability distribution system reliability [28]. This method results in
evaluation. accurate composite system reliability results, but allows
The method combines the fuzzy model for the peak load substation reliability analysis and feeder reliability analysis to
with a probability distribution for a load curve, whereas be decoupled.
system component outages can still be modeled using traditional
Monte Carlo or enumeration techniques. R. H. Stillman [23]
presents a methodology in which a distribution system is modeled IV. CONCLUSION
as a repairable system. This paper has reviewed some aspects of reliability
The reliability of two systems are compared, a widespread research in distribution systems in the following three main
rural system, and a large urban network. A comparative topics:
analysis is made to determine if the inter arrival times of
system failure events appear exponential and as such, can be • Introduction of concepts of reliability in distribution system
modeled as a homogenous poisson process (HPP), or whether • Reliability indices system
these should be treated as events of a non homogeneous
• Reliability Assessment of distribution system
poisson process (NHPP), as defined in [1]. It is argued that to
treat the inter arrival times of system failure events as being
independent of the history of the system (the HPP model Techniques for reliability evaluation are important in the
which is commonly adopted) leads to a misunderstanding of planning and operation of distribution system. Operation and
the system reliability state, which in turn impacts on the maintenance costs due to low reliability can be reduced by
management of maintenance and replacement criteria.

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(4) 2012 407 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/6919
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vol:6, No:4, 2012

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no. 4, pp. 1929 – 1934, Oct. 1996.
[22] W. Li, J. Zhou, J. Lu, and W. Yan, “Incorporating a combined fuzzy and
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