Modelling and simulation of heat dissipation due to HVDC ground electrodes using the finite element method

Injected high magnitude currents into soil through grounding electrodes of high voltage direct current (HVDC) generate temperature rise in the electrode and the surrounding soil. Thermal instability influences greatly the soil behaviour when providing a safe design of ground electrodes is a main concern. In case of exceeding the allowed thermal limit of the electrode, it may get damaged and sometimes an irreversible situation may occur. So the calculation of this temperature at different locations on the electrode is considered very important to avoid the damage that may occur during a fault or a lightning stroke. In this paper, a mathematical model to calculate the temperature propagation at a tetrahedral grounding electrode is developed using the Finite Element Method.