Implementing a self-healing system on an electric distribution system

Hendricks Power Cooperative is a distribution cooperative serving 25,012 members in Central Indiana. The eastern portion of the service territory serves dense residential load due to the close proximity of Indianapolis. The cooperative sought ways to provide these members with more reliable service and limit outage minutes. This research included software, equipment, and procedures aimed to reduce outage time. The goal was to improve their System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) five year average of 132.8 minutes down to 90 minutes, including major events. After completing the research, including the type of outages, it was determined that a distribution automation system which could provide automatic reconfiguration of the system would be the best option for Hendricks Power´s goal of reducing outage numbers. The purpose of this paper is to explain the process of implementing a self-healing system on electric distribution feeders.