These techniques and processes will be applied to a specific number of relay types to validate the process and evaluate the lives of these specific equipment types.

The specific equipment types selected will be those predominantly in service on the transmission network which current policy would require to be replaced in the next 5 years.

The establishment of a successful evaluation process for asset life would then be utilised as a research method to evaluate asset lives on other specific equipment types.   

The objectives are:

• To identify the critical life limiting elements within electronic protection devices
• Establish assessment and testing criteria to determine deterioration mechanisms and rates.
• Undertake testing on specific equipment types to establish current and expected deterioration.
• Evaluate results of testing to determine asset lives for the equipment types concerned
• Based on these results it will consider and recommend if the life limiting factors can be addressed by methods other than equipment replacement . 

• Establishment of a process to evaluate electronic protection equipment design, identify the life limiting critical elements and deterioration mechanisms leading to failure.

• Identify tests and assessment techniques to evaluate the current state deterioration, the affecting factors, expected deterioration rates and time to failure.

• Successful application of these tests and assessments on specific equipment types.

• Evaluation of the anticipated asset life for the specific equipment types tested

• Provision of options to address life limiting factors.