Hierarchical multiple criteria optimization of maintenance activities on power distribution networks

Abstract

Power distribution utilities must transport quality and reliable electric energy to all of the customers in a given network within specified targets. Failure of one of the network components is the main factor that compromises a system’s reliability. Maintenance actions, such as repairs and component replacements, are employed to avoid power interruptions or to resume the healthy network operation. This paper reports the relationship between maintenance activities and reliability as an optimization problem with two criteria: cost of maintenance activities and the maximum value for a system average interruption frequency index planning period. Solving these problems for each network provides local efficient solutions and associated trade-off curves. These solutions are optimally combined to solve a global-level multiple criteria optimization problem, revealing the local efficient solutions and associated trade-off curves for a group of networks or for a whole company. The procedure solves the hierarchical multiple criteria maintenance resources allocation problem and provides information to assess the decisions on maintenance activities at all decision levels in the network management. This procedure is applied to one illustrative example and real-life case studies to demonstrate its benefits.