Ladder-Type Soil Model for Dynamic Thermal Rating of Underground Power Cables

This paper presents an optimal RC ladder-type equivalent circuit for the representation of the soil for dynamic thermal rating of underground cable installations. This is useful and necessary for their optimal and accurate real-time operation. The model stems from a nonuniform discretization of the soil into layers. The resistive and capacitive circuit elements are computed from the dimensions and physical parameters of the layers. The model is perfectly compatible with the International Electrotechnical Commission thermal–electric analog circuits for cables. The optimum model order is determined, for fast and slow thermal transients, from a comprehensive parametric study. It is shown that an exponential distribution of the soil layers leads to accurate results with differences of less than 0.5 °C with respect to transient finite-element simulations. An optimal model with only five layers that delivers accurate results for all practical installations and for all time scenarios is presented. The model of this paper is a simple-to-use and accurate tool to design and analyze transient operation of underground cables. It represents a relevant improvement to the available operation and monitoring tools. For illustration purposes, a step-by-step model construction example is given. The model has been validated against numerous dynamic finite-element simulations.