There are a limited number of highly trained experts
who can use visually and physically monitored information
to assess the wear of a component. An expert system with
representative expert knowledge can allow a human to act
as an expert in performing a similar assessment. A
method which uses a system-wide approach to predict
distribution system equipment failure could reduce system
outage thereby providing a more reliable system. An
expert system method was developed in Greece for
substation fault diagnosis and alarm processing [9];
however, a systematic approach for predictive maintenance
in distribution systems is not yet readily available to the
utility industry.