ASSESSMENT OF RELIABILITY ASPECTS IN POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND DEVELOPMENT OF REINFORCEMENT MECHANISMS (CASE STUDY: SHASHEMENE CITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Abstract

A stable and reliable electric power supply system is an inevitable pre-requisite for the technological and economic growth of any nation. Due to this, Ethiopian electric utility (EEU) must strive and ensure that the customers’ reliability requirements, which are met at the lowest possible cost. EEU should have their own reliability improvement strategy depending upon their needs and requirements of their customers. Although there are notcomplete methods in managing all reliability issues, utilities can maximize network performance and better serve customers by carefully addressing trouble prone areas. In order to achieve this objective, reliability factors based reliability analysis is performed under Electrical Power System Analysis (ETAP) software environmentIn this thesis, it is observed that different reliability reinforcement mechanismshas been undertaken to evaluate predictive reliability analysis for the future system. Using line reconductoring for wendogent feeder the SAIFI, SAIDI and EIC reduced by 12%, 7.5% and 32% respectively. For shashemene city feeder using Autoreclosure SAIFI, SAIDI and EIC reduced by 45%, 35% and 35 % respectively. For Arsinegele feeder using separate CB the SAIFI, SAIDI and EIC reduced by 9.7%,6.4% and 8.8% respectively and water pump feeder using covered conductor SAIFI, SAIDI and EIC reduced by 14.9%,9% and 9.8% respectively. Reliability indices of shashemene substation show the substation is unreliable as compared to standard practices and Ethiopia’s reliability requirement