Background
System’s Operating Reliability is an excellent tool when big economic investment or military safety are involved. The aim of a reliability report is to statistically evaluate whether a system is able to fulfill its expected functions on a defined period of time. This evaluation includes system’s reliability, availability, maintainability and safety.
Thanks to Capsim’s wide experience in electrical grids, when confronted with a reliability study we are able to properly deal with electrical network particularities. Such as, fault propagation (which does not always have a downstream linear behavior), or the protection plan characteristics. We are also able to assess whether a particular reconfiguration may lead to overload on cables or transformers as well as if voltage could reach unacceptable limits.
Requirement
Some high profile projects request a Reliability study to prove that the reliability and availability performances of the facility are consistent with the demands described on the requirements specification. Thus, a Reliability report must be issued proving that this requirements are fulfilled.
Service principle
Classic mechanical reliability studies are based on general well-known methods. Capsim has adapted these methods to meet the electrical grid specificities. Capsim’s main method includes the following steps :
- Functional block diagram : This is a graphical representation of interactions between electrical components and / or supervision and order system
- Preliminary Hazards/Risks Analysis (PHA/PRA) : This analysis allows the determination of the system’s internal and external risks sources. This procedure is reported into a PHA/PRA worksheet so as to disclose and list the potential undesired events
- Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) : Severity, probability, and non-detection risk ranking of equipment failures as well as undesired events ranking
- Fault Tree Analysis : Undesired event evaluation in indicators such as reliability, availability, and maintainability.
Results
The Reliability Report will allow the identification of the critical and serious elements as well as ways to improve system’s performance. It evaluates reliability and availability of the system in order to prove the expected performances.
Our associated achievements
