The FMEA Studies and Risk-based Maintenance for Emerging Power Electronics Assets within GB Power Networks

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
National Grid Electricity Transmission

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 August 2018

30 April 2020

ENA months

£340,000

Power

London

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, National Grid Electricity Transmission

Project Contact, National Grid plc

The project will focus on the two classes of equipment, which will be of relatively high priority for National Grids future maintenance work: The Thyristor-based Line Current Commutation High Voltage Direct Current (LCC-HVDC); The Voltage-Source-Converter-based Static Compensators (STATCOMs).The project will research and develop Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and will also provide the failure curves for key components of these two types of applications, capturing installation useful-life and wear-out phases. Existing failure mode data will be collected through literature review and engagement with suppliers. Once the failure modes of power electronics are identified, reliability data gap analysis will be done with the aim to provide inputs to the reliability analysis. The methods used will include, as appropriate, fault-tree analysis, FMEA and FMEA state enumeration. The reliability models of these components need to be combined with the reliability models of traditional network components to assess the impact of new PE technologies on network operation, if any, reliability of supplies, maintenance and replacement requirements. This requires modelling of different load levels, conventional and wind generations, fault/ outage types, operation policies, etc. and will be resolved with the aid of Monte Carlo simulation procedures. Monte Carlo simulation will also be used to review Risk-based Maintenance (RBM) strategies to assess how they might be used to improve converter lifetimes whilst meeting the system reliability criteria. The models developed will be used to review RBM strategies to assess how they might be used to improve lifetimes. Specific outputs (and dates will be):1. LCC-HVDC:FMEA and gap analysis – month 6Monte-Carlo based wear-out simulation – month 112. STATCOM:FMEA and gap analysis – month 15Monte-Carlo based wear-out simulation – month 20   To develop FMEA curves to understand how best to manage power electronics assets across their whole life cycle.

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09/11/22