Thermal Cable Model
Cable thermal rating analysis for buried power cables.
Thermal Cable Model is a Python library for computing the temperature of buried low-voltage and medium-voltage power cables under steady-state and transient loading conditions. It implements the lumped-parameter thermal network approach from IEC 60287 / IEC 60853.
from thermal_cable_model import Cable, CableInstallation, ThermalSimulation, LoadProfile
cable = Cable.single_core_xlpe_cu(240, voltage_class="MV")
inst = CableInstallation()
inst.add_cable(cable, x=0.0, depth=1.2,
load=LoadProfile.constant(400, 48 * 3600))
sim = ThermalSimulation(inst)
result = sim.run_transient(dt=60)
print(f"Max conductor temperature: {result.max_conductor_temp(0):.1f} °C")
Key Features
Multi-layer cable models with factory methods for common LV/MV constructions
Dynamic load profiles — constant, cyclic, daily patterns, or CSV import
Seasonal ground temperature via the Kasuda & Archenbach equation
Parallel cables with mutual heating (IEC 60287 image method)
Cable crossings at arbitrary angles with derating factors (CIGRE TB 640)
Transient solver — implicit Euler with Picard iteration for temperature-dependent resistance
Contents
- Installation
- Getting Started
- User Guide
- Examples
- Theory and Physics
- API Reference
thermal_cable_model.materials— Material Propertiesthermal_cable_model.cable— Cable Definitionsthermal_cable_model.loads— Load Profilesthermal_cable_model.ground— Ground Temperature Modelsthermal_cable_model.thermal_network— Thermal Networkthermal_cable_model.solver— Transient Solverthermal_cable_model.crossing— Cable Crossingsthermal_cable_model.simulation— High-Level Simulationthermal_cable_model.visualization— Plotting Utilities
- Changelog