Development of a Thermal Model of a High-Voltage Insulated Cable using the Finite Element Method to Improve the Grid Integration of Renewable Energies

The increase of renewable energies in the current landscape makes Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) of transmission and distribution lines very meaningful to drive the production of these renewable energies. In order to be able to operate the lines dynamically, even in emergency situations, it is necessary to know the behaviour of the cables in detail. In particular, this study focuses on the dynamic management of high-voltage insulated cables. The main objective of this work focuses on the development of a model based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) to obtain the temperature reached by the cable conductors under different operating conditions. The FEM model was developed and validated by monitoring the current and temperature of a high-voltage insulated transmission line in operation. As a result of this FEM model, it was possible to obtain the temperature reached by the conductors in different scenarios in which the current flowing through the cables was higher than 900A. In addition, FEM model scenarios were developed where the line was operated close to its maximum load to test its behaviour. Key words. Cable monitoring, dynamic rating, finite element method, high-voltage insulated cable, transient thermal analysis.