Tutorial

Distribution Reliability Assessment

CYME 7.0 Power Engineering Software
A self-contained study file (.sxst) to use with this tutorial is provided. The explanations below are based on the use of it.

Electric power system reliability is a critical issue in today’s competitive business environment. An objective, verifiable
and consistent method is needed to quickly determine cost-effect solutions to reliability problems; this is what the
Reliability Assessment module of CYME offers. With this module, CYME is now providing the users with complete
historical and predictive calculation, along with parameter calibration and numerous options to make the reliability
calculation as accurate as possible.
In this case study, a simple 2-feeder- system will be analyzed. The steps that will be followed to assess the reliability
and find possible changes to improve it are as follows:
Step 1 Perform a predictive analysis based on the default calculation parameters.
Step 2 Run historical analyses based on the history of failures for those circuits and compare the results with
the results of the predictive analysis.
Step 3 Calibrate the line and cable reliability parameters to be used with the predictive analysis.
Step 4 Determine the effects of the reclosing scheme on reliability indices.
Step 5 Determine the effect of possible restoration paths from other circuits combined with automatic switching
on reliability indices.

 Predictive Analysis

1. Open the self-contained study

DistribReliability.sxst.
2. Perform a Predictive Reliability Analysis
on the two feeders that are now loaded:
(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability
Assessment > Run menu command.
(b) Select Predictive Analysis from the
first tab; make sure the option Use
Calibrated Data is not checked.
(c) Go to the tab Comparison and select
the option Save Results for
Comparison.
(d) Type in the name “Base Case” in the
field Comment.
(e) Press Run.

© CYME International, January 2013

 3. You can now observe the results in many different ways:
(a) With color-coding; select which index is used to color-code the network.
(b) With the results navigator:
• When the first node of a feeder is selected in the one-line diagram, the system indices of this
feeder are reported.
• When a section is selected in the one line diagram, the zone indices of the protective zone in
which this section is located are reported.
(c) With the result tags generated for each protective zone and sub-zone.

Reports are available for any reliability analysis. The default reports are: System Indices, Zone Indices and
Section Indices.

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  Comparing Historical and Predictive Results

We will now run a historical analysis based on the history of the failures of this network. We will then
compare the results given by the historical analysis with the results obtained from the predictive analysis we
ran in Step 1 and observe if there are differences.
1. Perform a historical reliability analysis on both feeders that are loaded:
(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability Assessment > Run menu command.
(b) Select Historical analysis in the first tab of this dialog box.
(c) Enter the period over which you want to perform the analysis; in our case, the analysis will be
performed over a period of 5 years, from July 1st 2002 to July 1st 2007.
(d) Go to the tab Comparison and select the option Save Results for Comparison and type
Historical in the Comment field.
(e) Select the option Enable Results Comparison Mode.
(f) Select the analysis called Base Case that you just ran in the Results field.
(g) Press Run.
2. You can now observe the differences between the results of the predictive analysis and this historical
analysis with the same ways than in Step 1, namely:
(a) With the color-coding; the categories of the different layers are now expressed as percentages of
difference between the new result and the reference.
(b) With the results navigator; the results of the analysis are indicated, as for the reference values
and the difference between both, in percentages.
(c) With the result tags; results of the last analysis are reported.
Questions
• Are there differences in the results of both analyses?
• Which analysis is showing the best results?
• What do you think can be done to get predictive results closer to historical results?

 Calibrate Line and Cable Reliability Parameters

As we have seen in Step 2, in most cases, there are differences between the results given by a predictive
reliability analysis and the results based on the history of failures for the system. CYME offers a calibration
functionality that calculates the line and cable reliability parameters necessary to have the predictive
analysis matching the results based on historical data.
1. Calculate the calibrated line and cable reliability parameters:
(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability
Assessment > Calibration menu
command.
(b) Select the option Calibration from
historical data.
(c) Since we want to calibrate the
parameters using the same history
of failures that was used for the
historical analysis in Step 2, select
a period of 5 years from July 1st
2002 to July 1st 2007.
(d) Press Run.
2. After a few seconds of calculation, calibrated reliability parameters should be shown. Press Save to save
those results in order to use them after for other analysis.

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 3. Run a predictive analysis
using calibrated data and
compare the results to the
results of the historical
analysis:
(a) Select the Analysis >
Reliability
Assessment > Run
menu command.
(b) Select Predictive
Analysis from the first
tab.
(c) Check the option Use
Calibrated Data.
(d) Go to the tab
Comparison and
select the option Save
Results for
Comparison.
(e) Enter the name
Calibrated in the field
Comment.

(f) In the field Results, select the analysis called Historical that you just ran.
(g) Press Run.
4. You can now see how close the results of the predictive analysis using calibrated data are from the
results of the historical analysis based on the history of failures of the network.
Question
• Are there differences in the results? (look for system indices and zone indices)

 Determine the Effect of the Reclosing Scheme on Reliability Indices

So far, the comparison mode has been used to compare different types of reliability analysis and to refine the
predictive analysis to better reflect the history of the failures of the system. However, this comparison mode
can also be used to analyze the effects that one or multiple changes in the network have over its reliability,
by comparing the final results with a reference base case.
In this first case, we will see how different reclosing schemes can affect the reliability of this network.
1. Run a predictive analysis considering a Fuse Clearing reclosing scheme:
(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability Assessment > Run menu command.
(b) In the tab Parameters, select Fuse clearing in the drop down menu Reclosing scheme.
(c) Go to the tab Comparison and select the option Save Results for Comparison.
(d) Enter the name Fuse clearing in the field Comment.
(e) Press Run.
2. Run a predictive analysis considering a Fuse Saving reclosing scheme:
(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability Assessment > Run menu command.
(b) In the tab Parameters, select Fuse saving in the drop down menu Reclosing scheme.
(c) Go to the tab Comparison and select the option Save Results for Comparison.
(d) Enter the name Fuse saving in the field Comment.
(e) Select the option Enable Results Comparison Mode.
(f) Select the analysis called Fuse clearing that you just ran in the Results field.
(g) Press Run.
3. Observe the results.
Questions
• Are there differences in the results? (look for system indices and zone indices)
• Which index is affected the most? Why?

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  Determine the Effect of Considering Possible Restoration Paths from
other Circuits Combined with Automatic Switching on Reliability Indices
We will now consider that it is possible to restore customer in a feeder with tie points from another feeder.
We will also consider that the switches of the system are operated automatically, so that load transfers can
be done efficiently.
1. There are 17 switches in the system. Make all switches of the system automatic:
(a) From the Explorer Bar, select the tab called Detailed View and expand the Switch category.
(b) Double-click on the ID of the first switch in the list to open its properties.
(c) In the Switch properties, select the Operation category and check the option called Automated.
(d) Press OK to save the modification.
(e) Repeat steps a to d for the 16 other switches.

2. Run a predictive analysis considering a Downstream Restoration from tied feeders:

(a) Select the Analysis > Reliability Assessment > Run menu command.
(b) In the tab Restoration, select the option Enable Downstream Restoration.
(c) Select the tab Comparison and select the option Save Results for Comparison.
(d) Type in the name Restoration in the field Comment.
(e) Select the option Enable Results Comparison Mode.
(f) Select the analysis called Fuse saving that you just ran in the Results field in order to compare
with the latest results.
(g) Press Run.
3. Observe the results.
Note
• Any other modification/improvement to the system could be analyzed the same way to see its effects on
reliability.

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