Optimum reliability-centered maintenance task frequencies for power system equipments

This paper describes an approach to optimization of intervals between activities suggested by Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) for power system equipments. Following a brief resume of RCM, it develops a probabilistic model used to optimize the frequency of maintenance tasks. The model is able to simulate many traditional maintenance policies, such as Age Replacement Policy (ARP), Block Replacement Policy (BRP) and Minimal Repair Policy (MRP). Each RCM task type and failure mode can be simulated by a customization of the model. Using a set of quality and productivity indexes typically used to evaluate power systems, a standard optimization model is built, whose analytical solution yields the best maintenance frequency for all RCM activities. An Appendix lists all symbols not defined on the paper.