One of PECO’s goals to improve reliability is to reduce the number of customers per circuit segment impacted by a fault on its electric distribution system.

On some PECO circuits, the number of customers exceeds the target maximum count of 750 customers per segment. Some of these segments also have limited coordination capability. Conventional reclosers have limited coordination capability, and adding more devices could risk miscoordination.

To reduce the number of customers in circuit segments with limited coordination, PECO developed a reclosing sectionalizer (RS) configuration to add up to three devices in an existing segment of a recloser scheme without adding additional tie reclosers. The RS is a normally closed device that functions by sectionalizing the circuit during a fault and reclosing on the restoration of voltage to restore load.

In this presentation, PECO engineers will share how these new devices increased the segmentation of its feeders while improving fault management and reliability for customers.