Impact of thermal backfill parameters on current-carrying capacity of power cables installed in the ground

Proper design of power installations with the participation of power cables buried in homogeneous and thermally well-conductive ground does not constitute a major problem. The situation changes when the ground is non-homogeneous and thermally low-conductive. In such a situation, a thermal backfill near the cables is commonly used. The optimization of thermal backfill parameters to achieve the highest possible current-carrying capacity is insufficiently described in the standards. Therefore, numerical calculations based on computational fluid dynamics could prove helpful for designers of power cable lines. This paper studies the influence of dimensions and thermal resistivity of the thermal backfill and thermal resistivity of the native soil on the current-carrying capacity of power cables buried in the ground. Numerical calculations were performed with ANSYS Fluent. As a result of the research, proposals were made on how to determine the current-carrying capacity depending on the dimensions and thermal properties of the backfill. A proprietary mathematical function is presented which makes it possible to calculate the cable current-carrying capacity correction factor when the backfill is used. The research is expected to fill the gap in the current state of knowledge included in the provisions of standards.