Reliability centered maintenance for distribution underground systems

Abstract

With the technical advent of predictive testing for electric distribution facilities, reliability centered maintenance (RCM) principles can now be applied to maintain underground systems. This paper reviews the history and concepts of RCM, discusses the typical RCM underground process, identifies technical steps for applying RCM to manage distribution underground cable, and discusses the benefits along with the key success factors for managing underground facilities in this fashion. Finally, a case study is discussed demonstrating the application and results of RCM for distribution underground systems.