Reducing outage maintenance costs by performance based maintenance

Abstract

The limitation of funding for traditional maintenance has resulted in some electrical distribution equipment having maintenance cycles extended well beyond historical levels. In addition, more maintenance funds are directed to rotating apparatus, such as electrical generators, process drives, compressors and supporting motors. This is necessary due to the added wear associated with rotating machinery versus stationary electrical distribution equipment. The need for maintenance on electrical distribution equipment, such as air and liquid-filled power distribution transformers, low and medium voltage circuit breakers, starters and motor-control centers still exists, but is subject to greater cost constraints within all facilities. A new approach, termed performance based maintenance, can utilize past and ongoing equipment maintenance records to prioritize electrical distribution equipment with greater detail. This allows for applying maintenance dollars to the electrical distribution equipment with the greatest need for maintenance, and also redirecting limited funds to more effective predictive practices or capital improvements