A physical performance degradation-based approach for optimizing dynamic maintenance strategy of power equipment

Referring to the "Preventive test code for electric power equipment", performing the preventive test regularly is widely recognized and applied as a key means to prevent the failure of power equipment. However, the test cycles and specification values applied in various areas under different environmental conditions are generally uniform, which is a valuable research issue. In the paper, a physical performance degradation-based statistics approach is presented to increase the flexibility and extensibility of the preventive test schedule under diverse environmental factors, e.g. ambient temperature and the relative humidity of the air. The approach enables to estimate the performance parameter quantitatively on the basis of systematically analyzing historical data of preventive test. Whereafter, the optimization of maintenance strategies in line with local conditions is also recommended to provide guidance, including adjusting the preventive test cycle and adding extra inspection. At last, a case of the total hydrocarbon of the transformer is discussed and studied in detail.