Effect of network simplification on reliability of distribution systems

The distribution systems of the future will be built up based on the present network infrastructure. The power equipment used today such as power lines, cables and transformers will continue to play an important role in the future. The present networks will be upgraded and changed to future smart grids. But how to develop a reliable network of the future in a cost effective way is an important concern of power utilities. The paper presents the results of a project performed at the power company, Vattenfall in Sweden, which addresses the important considerations of how to build a reliable distribution network in a cost effective way. The project studied how network simplification affects customer reliability indices and investigated possibilities to simplify the network structure and reduce the number of network components while maintaining the network reliability. The results of the project indicate that building complicated network and installing too many network components do not necessarily imply increasing power supply reliability. It is feasible to build future distribution systems with less components, simple network structure and reliable customer power service.