Transmission equipment reliability using the Canadian Electrical Association information system

Abstract

Canadian electric power utilities have been collecting and processing transmission equipment reliability data as part of the Canadian Electrical Association Equipment Reliability Information System (CEA-ERIS) since 1978. Eight concurrent annual reports have been produced each covering a five year period. These data cover transmission lines, transformer banks, circuit breakers, cables, synchronous and static VAr compensators, shunt reactors, shunt capacitors and series capacitors. Overall statistics of failure rate, average downtime and unavailability are obtained for each major component, subdivided into agreed voltage categories, and published on a national basis. Additional statistics such as line and terminal related transmission outage data, integral and terminal related transformer outage data are also compiled and disseminated. This paper illustrates the transmission equipment reliability data in the CEA-ERIS and presents a summary of relevant reliability parameters for the major components covered by the system.