Cost/benefit analysis for circuit breaker maintenance planning and scheduling

Maintenance planning and scheduling of circuit breakers (CBs) always involves the cost and benefit analysis. This paper introduces a new framework for cost/benefit assessments using condition-based monitoring data. The signals monitored at the CB control circuit are first utilized to determine the CB deterioration status. This information is used to decide which type of maintenance, e.g., minor, major, or replacement, needs to be practiced for different CBs. System wide analysis is then performed to assess the cost benefits of the maintenance by calculating the costs imposed to the system in the case of CB mal-operation. A new benefit to cost ratio (BCR) index is introduced to deal with the CB maintenance prioritization process. The proposed approach is implemented on a breaker-and-a-half substation configuration and the results demonstrate the applicability of the presented framework in real world scenarios.