Plant and station availability

The models used in Chapters 2–6 represented generating units by a single component, the reliability indices of which were convolved together to form the generation model for evaluating system risk. This single-component representation is necessary in the assessment of large systems in order to reduce both computer time and computer storage. Each of these single components, however, represents a system of its own, the composition of which has a marked effect on the unit availability. A separate reliability evaluation of the generating plant is therefore desirable for two reasons: (a)The reliability of a given generating plant configuration can be evaluated using historical component data. This index can then be used in the evaluation techniques described in Chapters 2–6.(b)Comparative studies can be made of alternative generating plant configurations in order to assess the economic benefits of these alternatives.