Cableizer : FEM Temperature plot

With the new version from March 2022, we provide two methods to calculate the approximated temperature field (ATF) for buried cables: The superposition principle and the Finite Element Method.

Superposition principle

The temperature distribution is calculated assuming that the cables are directly buried in soil with a constant thermal resistivity , that the heat loss is located in the center of cable or heat source, and that the soil surface forms an isothermal at ambient temperature.

Finite Element Method

With the new version from March 2022, a second method using the finite elements was introduced to calculate the ATF, available for buried in soil, subsea cables, tunnels and troughs.

The extensive python FEM module PyGimli is used for all our applications using the finite element method, including the calculation of the temperature distribution. Thanks to the contributors of PyGimli.

Following definitions of the finite element model apply:

1. Geometry is defined within a world with 20 m to the sides and below.
2. Soil and conductor surfaces are Dirichlet boundary conditions (BC)
3. Sides and bottom are natural BC, meaning they are of homogeneous Neumann type.
4. Calculation is for steady-state conditions, diffusivity is not considered.
5. The soil, backfills, ducts, air-space, insulation and conductor material are defined by dimensions and conductivity. Screen, sheath, armour and steel pipes are neglected.
6. In case of non-homogenous soil surface and for troughs, the geometry is being extended into the airspace above the surface.

This new method comes with following features which will provide a fantastic user experience.

• Include the plot directly into the report or generate it after ampacity calculation.
• Show the temperature distribution within cables, within ducts, tunnels and troughs.
• Define minimal and maximal limits of the colormesh and set the stepsize
• Choose from 20 different Matplotlib colormaps plus optionally reverse them.

Read the full post and many other posts on our website.

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