Standby Switching Stations Dynamic Prominence Ranking Based on Multi-Criteria Decision-Making using TOPSIS Technique

To provide an effective and efficient response to diverse switching stations in emergencies, optimal coordination and resource allocation must be taken into account. Managing facility location, transportation, and ranking of those stations in a multi-driving distance, multi-load sensitivity, and multi-network architecture with uncontrolled uncertainty rendered judgments to be unthoughtful decisions. In this study, 30 switching stations in Al Ain city, UAE, that are connected to backup generators in addition to the main source and serve VIP locations, were put into a competition to be ranked based on their importance in a dynamic manner that can be updated monthly. Several criteria were used to make a determined decision to rank the stations based on factors such as the number of incomers, driving distance from the main office, load sensitivity, generation-to-diversified load percentage, and location accessibility. The technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used, and the results were analyzed using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM). The resulting ranking can be used to make decisions about how to best allocate resources, especially when there is a shortage of manpower and end-user demand fluctuates. Several scenarios were studied in order to evaluate and assess the impact of dynamic changes that can occur in real situations. The cases involve adding or removing in-site operators, inducing interruptions, and linking stations to the monitoring room. Results showed the superior impact of operators shifting due to high given weight; however, distance impact was minimal in case of added interruptions or remote monitoring.