Thermal simulation of cable accessories: Comparison of different methods

Knowing the thermal distribution in cable accessories and its transient behaviour allows the manufacturer to design cable accessories suiting perfect to the customers’ needs at a competitive price. There are many simulation methods available today allowing to model the thermal distribution in the whole accessory even before the first prototype is produced. In this paper three simulative approaches namely the 3-dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM), the 2-dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) and the network method (NWM) are compared with each other. Key points of the presented investigation concern the effort which must be spend prior to the start of the simulation and the results quality gained for the cable, the joint body and the slip-on joint. To achieve measured results an experimental setup was established in the lab. The 3D-FEM and the 2D-FEM simulation are carried out as stationary simulations to keep the calculation time short whereas the NWM is set up as a transient simulation to investigate the course of the temperature. All the results are validated with measured temperature profiles gained in a loop arrangement.