Current Distribution and Losses of Grouped Underground Cables

To fulfill installation requirements, sometimes two or more cables have to be connected in parallel in a three-phase power distribution system. The division of the current and power among the adjacent cables is governed by several factors, such as position, phase order, and the grounding method of the metal screen. This study demonstrates this effect and compares three solution methods of grouped single-core underground cables with their screens bonded at both ends. These three methods are: 1) an analytical one provided by international standards, and two 2-D finite-element approaches. One of the FE methods takes the twists of the wire screens into account.