Three phase power cable temperature - QuickField simulation example
Joule losses per meter and conductor temperature in a three-phase power cable with sector-shaped conductors carrying 150 A at 60 Hz in ambient air.
How to calculate Joule losses and conductor temperature for a three-phase cable with temperature-dependent conductivity?
Answer Typical applications Geometry
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Task
Solution
Results
Engineering question
Iterate an AC-magnetic loss calculation and a coupled heat-transfer solution until the assumed conductor temperature and resulting conductivity converge.
three-phase power cables, sector-shaped conductors, exposed cable systems
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Simulation problem
Problem Type
Plane-parallel multiphysics problem of AC Magnetics coupled to Heat transfer.
Each phase conductor carries AC current I = 150 A (r.m.s.), frequency 60 Hz.
Ambient air temperature +20°C, convection coefficient 5 W/m²*K.
Thermal conductivities: aluminum 237 W/K-m, shield 380 W/K-m, insulation 0.2 W/K-m, filler 0.05 W/K-m, jacket 0.29 W/K-m.
Electrical conductivity of the aluminum conductor and copper shield depends on the temperature.
Calculate the Joule heat losses per 1 meter of cable length and the conductors temperature.
We need to perform several iterations and correct the temperature of conductors till the temperature value converges.
Joule heat loss in the conductor is 6.3 Watts per 1 meter of conductor length. Joule heat loss in the shield is 0.4 W/m.
Conductor temperature is 54°C, cable surface temperature is 48°C.
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