Validation of cable models for simulation of transients in shipboard power systems

Careful analysis of transients in shipboard power systems is important for future all-electric ships to achieve long life times of its components. In order to accomplish results with high accuracy it is recommended to validate cable models as they have significant influence to amplitude and oscillation frequency of voltage transients. The authors propose comparison of model and measurement using scattering parameters. They can be easily obtained from measurement and simulation and deliver broadband information about the accuracy of the model. The measurement can be performed by means of a vector network analyzer. The process to extract scattering parameters from simulation models is explained in detail in this paper. Two different simulation models of a 5 kV XLPE power cable have been validated and compared. The chosen approach delivers an efficient tool to quickly estimate the quality of a model.