Detection of underground power cable route using magnetic field

In this paper, a new method for routing of single-phase cables in hot-line mode is presented. The proposed method is based on the distribution of cable magnetic field. The simulation results obtained by the CST software represent the difference between the magnetic field distributions on the ground surface resulting from underground cables and those in places where there is no cable. The results show that the obtained magnetic field from top of the underground cables can be detected by the available magnetic sensors. To detect the cable route using distribution of cable magnetic field, at first by scanning an area along vertical measurement lines a point of the cable is discovered and then by scanning along parallel measurement lines the cable route is detected. The proposed method is a passive detection method and does not need any interruption of power lines.