Comparison of reliability and availability evaluation techniques for distribution network systems

This study, managed by AEM (Azienda Energetica Metropolitana) Torino, Italy, in co-operation with the Polytechnic of Turin, analyses and compares different methods of reliability evaluation for medium-voltage power distribution systems (MVDS). The purpose was to obtain a suitable analysis tool based on methods able to join precise results and fast elaboration. Many studies can be found in literature on classical methods using theoretical digression and providing simple practical examples. This study has a practical connotation (AEM applications in the Turin 27 kV, 22 kV and 6.3 kV distribution systems) and intends to compare different methods considering the effects of their simplifying hypotheses. After description and comparison of the theoretical bases, each proposed technique has been implemented and used to evaluate reliability indices of illustrative networks.