Reliability assessment of the operational functions of a power system control center

The reliable operation of the facilities at a system control center (SCC) is essential to the secure and economical operation of a modern power system. Ontario Hydro´s new SCC is designed to carry out several sets of functions, such as real-time monitoring, security and economic assessments of system operations, etc. The author demonstrates the application of probability methods to assess the overall reliability of the SCC facilities in carrying out these functions. The computed performance indices were compared with a set of specified targets. The selection of SCC functional reliability indices and performance targets, the reliability assessment approaches, and the results of the assessment are summarized