Applying reliability centered maintenance (RCM) to overhead electric utility distribution systems

Overhead distribution systems have evolved slowly and are typically composed of large populations of relatively uniform and unsophisticated elements of infrastructure. This summary paper is intended to convey a sense of the potential opportunities available in applying reliability centered maintenance (RCM) analysis methods to an assessment of maintenance of overhead distribution systems. RCM methods have been successfully applied to analyses of maintenance needs of other segments of the utility industry, including power production and T&D substations. Application of RCM to overhead distribution system maintenance is a logical extension of this work The author assumes the reader has a working understanding of RCM philosophy and practice. The paper emphasizes the identification of potential opportunities and includes a conceptual discussion of how RCM could be applied to overhead distribution systems.