DIgSILENT Technical Documentation

Model Description

Cable Modelling
Table of Contents

DIGSILENT TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION ............................................................................................................. 1

MODEL DESCRIPTION.............................................................................................................................................. 1

CABLE MODELLING .................................................................................................................................................. 1

1 SINGLE-CORE CABLE TYPE (TYPCAB) ................................................................................................................. 1

2 CABLE SYSTEM TYPE (TYPCABSYS) .................................................................................................................... 2

3 CABLE SYSTEM COUPLING ELEMENT (ELMCABSYS) ........................................................................................... 3

4 LINE ELEMENT WITH A CABLE SYSTEM COUPLING ............................................................................................ 5

Cable Modelling

Published by DIGSILENT GmbH Germany

Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. Unauthorised

copying or publishing of this or any part of this
document is prohibited.

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1 Single-core cable type (TypCab)

The single core cable type “TypCab” defines the coaxial arrangement of single-core cables.
As depicted in Figure 1, the cross section geometry of a single-core cable is defined by
multiple conducting layers, typically core, sheath and armour, and isolating layers usually
known as oversheath and serving.
The user defines the number of conducting layer by selection the respective flag in the first
column of the table. The isolating layers are then automatically updated.

Figure 1: Single core cable type (TypCab)

As shown in Figure 2, the “outer diameter” corresponds to the diameter of the core itself and
not to the cable diameter. The "overall cable diameter" is calculated by adding up the
thicknesses of all layers to the outer diameter of the core.

The thickness of the conductor (table for conducting layers in Figure 1) is calculated
according to the following formula:
For hollow conductors:
th=(diaCon-diaTube) / 2

and for compact conductors:

th=diaCon / 2

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where:

diaCon Outer diameter of the conductor

diaTube Inner diameter of the conductor (diameter of the hole)
th Thickness in table

The diameter of the core can be defined either by setting the outer diameter or the thickness
of the conductor in the table. The thickness is calculated from the diameter or vice versa.

Conductor
Insulation
Overall Cable Diameter
Sheath
Oversheath
Armour
Serving
Outer Diam. Inner Diam.

Figure 2: Single core cable layers definition

2 Cable system type (TypCabsys)

In general, three single-core cables in a three phase cable system are laid close together so
that coupling between phases must be taken into account. The resulting electromagnetic
coupling depends on the physical distribution of the single-core cables, or in other words, the
cable system geometry will determine the resulting impedance and admittance matrices
(electrical parameters) of the cable system.
The cable system type (TypCabsys) lets the user define the arrangement of parallel single-
core cables of the type considered above and automatically calculates the associated electrical
parameters.

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Figure 3: Cable system type (TypCabsys)

Figure 3 shows the input dialog. The user must first define the total number of circuits (single
or multiphase cables) of the cable system. Both table on the dialog window will be
automatically update according to the number of circuits.
For each circuit a single-core cable type is to be selected and the number of phases and rated
current defined. The second table lets specify the x- and y-coordinates for each single-core
cable as relative positions. For underground (buried) cables use positive values for the y-
coordinate.
Note: the “reduced” and “cross bonded” options are still under development and thus not
completely support.
Once completed, the cable system is defined. Pressing the button “Calculate” the impedance
and admittance matrix of the cable will be calculated and stored for simulations. If started in
“debug” mode, PF will also print out the calculated matrices to the output window.

3 Cable system coupling element (ElmCabsys)

The cable coupling element (ElmCabsys) creates the link between the recently defined cable
system type and the line elements in the active network as depicted in Figure 4.
By analogy with the overhead line modelling in PowerFactory, the cable system coupling
element “ElmCabsys” plays the same roll of the line coupling element “ElmTow” thus
assigning the impedance and admittance matrices coming from the cable system/tower
geometry definition to the line element in the network.

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Figure 4: Cable system coupling element (ElmCabsys)

Note: a macro as in the line coupling definition is still not available (B256) for cable system
coupling, so that the cable system coupling element “ElmCabsys” must be defined manually
in the PF data manager.

To define a cable system coupling element, proceed as follow:

In the data manager go to the active network and create a new element
In the dialog window, select “Special Types” and type in “ElmCabsys” in the input field.
After pressing OK a new cable system coupling element will be create as shown in Figure 5
Choose a name for the new element and for the “cable definition” select a cable system type
as described in point 2.
According to the selected cable system type, the for the line names will be automatically
updated, prompting you to select the lines or line routes in the active network which are to be
linked to each circuit layer of the cable system. It should be here pointed out that different
lines must be select for each circuit layer. The number of phases of each line must coincide
with the number of phases of each circuit as well (defined in the cable system type).

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For instance: a cable system type (TypCabsys) contains 1 three-phase cable (circuit) and each
single-core cable has two layers, core and sheath. Then, for the cable system coupling
element 2 three-phase line elements must be selected as shown in Figure 5, one three-phase
line for the cores (phases A, B and C) and the other for the sheaths (phases A, B and C). On
the single line diagram the cable system will look like as in Figure 4.

Figure 5: Cable system coupling element (ElmCabsys).

Both lumped- and distributed parameters models are available for the cable system coupling
element.
For the distributed parameter model and EMT-Simulation be sure to define a frequency for
parameter approximation on the EMT-Simulation page and press the “Line Parameter”
button, so that the modal coefficient and the modal transformation matrix be calculated. The
resulting values are shown on the same EMT-Simulation page.

4 Line element with a cable system coupling

If a cable system coupling element (ElmCabsys) has been defined for a line element
(ElmLne), the “Line Couplings” input on dialog window of the line will refer to the coupling
element as shown in Figure 6.

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No type must be defined for this line element, as it is already defined in the cable system
coupling element. The resulting values of positive and zero sequence impedances and earth
factor for each line will be automatically shown in the line element dialog window.

Figure 6: Line element pointing to a cable system coupling. Resulting values.

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