What characterizes a Radial System in electric distribution?

A radial system in electric distribution is characterized by having a single path of power flow from the source (such as a substation) to the end-users or consumers. This design is straightforward, where electricity travels along one primary route, and each branch serves a distinct set of customers. The radial configuration is often employed for its simplicity and ease of maintenance since an outage or fault in one section of the system does not typically affect the entire network; only the consumers on that particular branch would be impacted.

In contrast, a complex network of power lines could indicate a looped or meshed configuration that provides multiple routes for power, but that is not the defining feature of a radial system. Multiple substations usually suggest a more interconnected system, and while multi-phase alternating current systems are common in various distribution systems, they do not inherently define the characteristics of a radial layout specifically. Therefore, the defining feature of a radial system is indeed the single path of power flow to consumers.