An Application of Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis for Reliability Evaluation of Wind Energy System

Abstract

In this paper, a fuzzy fault tree analysis technique for reliability evaluation of the wind energy system is presented. The technique combines the operational failures effect and the errors in the fuzzy environment for the wind energy system configuration. In conventional fault tree analysis, the acceptance of the risks probability values is not considered. Besides, it is very difficult to have a precise assessment of the wind system failure rates or the undesired events occurrence probability due to absence of adequate data. Therefore, to overcome these disadvantages, a fault tree analysis based on the fuzzy set theory is presented and applied to the wind energy system. Moreover, if the fault probabilities of the wind energy system fault are not exact values then the fault probabilities are regarded as a fuzzy number and the fuzzy failure rate is known by using fuzzy rules. Also, the fuzzy fault tree analysis is one of the powerful reliability judgment method, which provides the failure modes and its consequences, which are proved on a wind energy system. Furthermore, the risk analysis method is applied based on the fuzzy risk index (FRI) to know the exact impact of every basic event on the top event. Therefore, outcomes show that the fuzzy based fault tree technique combines the probabilities imprecision and engineering inaccuracy are more flexible and adaptive, and it has great use in reliability engineering.

KEYWORDS:

• Failure rate reliability
• Fault probability
• Fuzzy fault tree technique
• Fuzzy risk factor
• Wind energy system

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Iram Akhtar

Iram Akhtar received the BTech degree in electrical engineering from BBDNITM, Lucknow in 2010 and the MTech degree in power electronics and drives from Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology (formerly Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College), Gorakhpur in 2012. She obtained a PhD degree in electrical engineering at Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, India. Her current research interest includes the renewable energy sources (solar and wind), microgrid, grid integration of renewable energy sources, electrical machines and electrical drives. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Sheeraz Kirmani

Sheeraz Kirmani joined the Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia in July 2012. Earlier he worked as a lecturer with the Department of Energy and Environment, TERI University, New Delhi, India. He completed his BTech in electrical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (A Central University) in 2005, MTech in energy studies from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. In 2007, PhD from Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, India in 2014 in the area of distributed solar power generation. He has published/presented many papers in various peer reviewed International Journals and conferences. He has also visited Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom under UKIERI grant. His current research interest includes new and renewable energy sources (Solar and Wind), resource assessment, smart grids, distributed generation, grid integration of renewable energy sources, application of intelligent techniques to electrical power systems, smart grid and reactive power compensation. He is also a life member of ICTP. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]