Maintenance optimization for unavailability enhancement of representative interconnected infrastructure based on minimum cost

This paper explores the feasibility of solving a maintenance optimization problem in an interconnected smart grid system, comprising a power grid and a communication network, to reduce system unavailability. The unavailability, which must be in practice under the control of a system operator, is particularly sensitive to critical components in the power grid that must be under preventive maintenance (PM). The main goal is to find an optimal setup of PM within the specified mission time, minimizing system operation costs and reducing time-dependent unavailability. The method for unavailability quantification was remade to include different stochastic models for the unavailability calculation of system components working in different maintenance modes. A cost model is suggested to estimate the cost of various maintenance configurations. By applying these methodological tools designed to benefit users of any complex system, an optimal PM policy was developed for the selected smart grid. This policy reduces grid unavailability by approximately 20% and lowers costs by about 8.5% compared to a configuration without maintenance.

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