Identifying worst performing components in a distribution system using Weibull distribution

A condition based component maintenance scheme for distribution transformers is proposed. The component is analyzed based on its failure modes. Failure modes are defined based on the manufacturer's datasheets, standards / guidelines and historical failure data. Historical failure data is used to determine an importance index (weight) for each failure mode, which is used to calculate the reliability of the component. This work proposes the use of Weibull distribution for failure modes to calculate the statistical reliability model for the component. The potential benefit of this model would be to accurately predict the condition of a component, which will help the utility improve its performance.