Combining Historical Data and Domain Expert Knowledge Using Optimization to Model Electrical Equipment Reliability

To meet new needs and respond to changes in the energy market, Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie required new predictive modelling methods and systems to support its asset management activities. It created PRIAD, a robust integration and decision support system. One goal of PRIAD is to assess asset behavior for the purposes of simulating system reliability. A method using a black-box optimization technique was developed to calibrate an expert reliability model with historical data analysis. The model's electrical equipment reliability predictions were satisfactory, but further improvements are planned. One benefit of this approach is to allow experts to reassess their maintenance strategies using modelling results.