Reliability Assessment Methods for Power Supply Systems Considering the Technical Condition of Electrical Equipment: A Critical Review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The reliability assessment of power supply systems is complicated by the branched network topology, redundancy, switching operations, post-failure restoration, operating constraints, and uneven equipment degradation. Additional difficulties arise because calculations based on averaged normative parameters often fail to reflect the actual condition of specific components. This review critically compares reliability assessment methods for power supply systems, with particular attention to the technical condition of electrical equipment. Fault tree analysis and the logic–probabilistic method are discussed as structural approaches. Markov models are examined as tools for describing transitions between equipment states. Monte Carlo-based simulation is considered for calculating adequacy deficits and the operational consequences of supply interruptions. Reliability parameterization based on health indices, correction factors, and consumed life is also analyzed. The analysis indicates that no single methodology is equally effective at all problem levels. The main contribution is to separate technical condition parameterization, structural operability modeling, and adequacy assessment into interacting layers. This structure links condition indicators, such as health indices or consumed life, with system-level reliability and deficit indices through element-state probabilities. The review therefore supports a multi-level framework in which technical condition is considered at the element level, structural reliability is evaluated by the logic–probabilistic method, and failure consequences are assessed by simulation.
Source: Energies
DOI: 10.3390/en19102440
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7161633392