Condition assessment and maintenance scheduling for distribution reclosers

Methods for estimating the failure rates of distribution reclosers, and scheduling maintenance for those reclosers based on risk to the system, are presented. Condition data that can be gathered while the recloser is in service is used to calculate a condition value. The value is compared with historical recloser data and a failure rate is estimated. The failure rates and system topology are then used to estimate the risk, a combination of reliability indices, energy not served, and cost of failure, assocated with service to each recloser. Maintenance is scheduled to minimize risk.