A New Technique for Reliability Calculations

A new technique is presented for calculating the rate and duration of service interruptions in transmission and distribution systems. The novel features of the technique are that it can be easily applied to large networks, networks with multiple sources, and networks of any configuration, not necessarily series-parallel subsystems. The approach is based on the traditional exponential probability density functions for time to failure and repair time, but it incorporates a new combinatorial algorithm. The paper includes the derivation of equations and the solution of a sample problem using a pilot computer program.