Lab Report 1

Introduction to COMSOL with 2D & 3D models of underground high voltage

cable

Apparatus:
 Laptop
 Comsol multiphysics 5.1

Theory

What is High voltage engineering?

High-voltage engineering is the science of planning, operating, and testing high-voltage

electrical devices and designing the insulation coordination in order to ensure the reliable
operation of the power network.

High-voltage researchers have extensively investigated nanopolymer cable insulators and

environment-friendly materials to replace existing insulation materials. Cross-linked
polyethylene (XLPE) is a well-known high and ultrahigh voltage cable insulation

What is COMSOL Multiphysics?

COMSOL Multiphysics is a cross-platform finite element analysis, solver and multiphysics

simulation software. It allows conventional physics-based user interfaces and coupled systems
of partial differential equations (PDEs). COMSOL provides an IDE and unified workflow for
electrical, mechanical, fluid, acoustics, and chemical applications. You can use it to connect to
COMSOL Server with LiveLink for MATLAB.

Engineers and scientists use the COMSOL Multiphysics software to simulate designs, devices,
and processes in all fields of engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research.
Features:

 General-purpose simulation software based on advanced numerical methods.

 Fully coupled multiphysics and single-physics modeling capabilities.
 Complete modeling workflow, from geometry to post processing.
 User-friendly tools for building and deploying simulation

Creating new model:

You can set up a model guided by the Model Wizard or start from a Blank Model as shown in
the figure.

Start by selecting the space dimension for your model component: 3D, 2D Axisymmetric, 2D,
1D Axisymmetric, or 0D. 2 Now, add one or more physics interfaces. These are organized in a
number of physics branches in order to make them easy to locate. These branches do not directly
correspond to products.

COMSOL Multiphysics desktop:

The COMSOL desktop window is shown in picture; it has many options to work according to
need.

2 main components:

The two main components of the COMSOL Desktop environment are the Model Builder and the
Application Builder.

 The Model Builder is the tool where you define the model and its components, such as
how to solve it, the analysis of results, and creating reports
 The Application Builder allows you to quickly create an application with a specialized
user interface that is easy to use. An application is typically based on a model created
with the Model Builder
Components:

The components I selected for y experiment are;

 Geometry
 Materials
 Physics

Geometry choose

For geometry 3 layers have been chosen

 Inner conductor
 Insulation
 Protective outer layer

Materials choose:
 Copper
 PVC
 HDPE

Physics chose:
The physics available are shown. The selected physics is Electrostatics. Electrostatics is a branch of
physics that studies electric charges at rest. The study of electromagnetic phenomena that occur when
there are no moving charges

Study:
The study I selected is Stationary.

The Stationary study is used when field variables do not change over time. For a stationary or
steady-state situation where you can use a stationary solver. This study type is also used for
optimization problems that are constrained with a stationary PDE. Adds a Stationary study step.
You can also choose to create a parametric continuation solver.
 2D Model
Procedure:

 First I install the COMSOL multiphyscs 5.1, then I opened the COMSOL.
 Then I selected the wizard model.
 I selected first 2D model
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 2D model I selected the conductor first then added insulation and a protective outer
layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and PVC for insulation and HDPE for
protective outer layer.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials.
 Then I added the electric potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I built mesh structure and then pressed the computer button.
 Then I observed the 2D model in term of electric potential.
 As I completed my experiment.

3D Model

Procedure:
 First I install the COMSOL multiphyscs 5.1, then I opened the COMSOL.
 Then I selected the wizard model.
 I selected 3D model.
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 3D model I selected the conductor first then added insulation and a protective outer
layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and PVC for insulation and HDPE for
protective outer layer.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials.
 Then I added the electric potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I built mesh structure and then pressed the computer button.
 Then I observed the 3D model in term of electric potential.
 As I completed my experiment.
Conclusion:
 I became familiar with the purpose of high-voltage engineering.
 I became familiar with the software COMSOL Multiphysics which is used by engineers
for simulation and research purposes.
 I have seen the installing and opening the new models for work.
 I became familiar with the 2D and 3D models to work.
 I have observed the electric potential view of designed cables for 2D and 3D models.
 I concluded that, COMSOL software uses the finite element analysis to design the model.
 I concluded, the finite element analysis can be observed easily by building the mesh
design.
 Lab Report 2

Investigate the voltage & electric field distribution of 2D and 3D models of

underground high voltage cable using COMSOL

Apparatus:
 Laptop
 Comsol multiphysics 5.1

Theory

Cut Line:
Use a Cut Line 2D or Cut Line 3D dataset to create lines through 2D or 3D geometries to
visualize along the line. All plots and results analysis nodes available in 1D are available for cut
line datasets as well as 3D plots and results analysis nodes for edges. These datasets are also used
to create cross-section line plots.

Use Line entry method to specify the cut line either by Two points or by a Point and direction. If
Two points is selected, enter x and y coordinates (2D) or x, y, and z coordinates (3D) in the Point
1 and Point 2 fields ((SI unit: m). If Point and direction is selected, enter x and y coordinates
(2D) or x, y, and z coordinates (3D) in the Point (SI unit: m) and Direction fields.

Line graph:

Use a Line Graph ( ) to plot a scalar quantity along a geometric line. The line can be an edge in
the geometry, a parameterized curve, or a cut line. Make a graph plot of a quantity versus another
quantity. Line graphs are used to track changes over short and long periods of time. When
smaller changes exist. Click the 1D Plot Group node to view the Line Graph based on the
selected points. The first time the cross-section toolbar buttons are clicked, a Cut Line 3D data
set and a 1D Plot Group with a Line Graph are added to the Model Builder.
Electric potential:

It is defined as, An electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit positive charge
from a reference point to a specific point inside the field without producing any acceleration. Its
SI unit is Volts ‘ V ’.

Electric field:

An electric field is the physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts force
on all other charged particles in the field, either attracting or repelling them. It also refers to the
physical field for a system of charged particles. Units for the electric field
are volts per meter (V/m).

Components:

The components I selected for experiment are;

 Geometry
 Materials
 Physics

Geometry choose

3 layers have been chosen

 Inner conductor
 Insulation
 Protective outer layer

Materials choose:

 Copper
 SBR
 PolyPropylene

Physics: The selected physics is Electrostatics.

 2D Model

Procedure:

 First I install the COMSOL multiphyscs 5.1, then I opened the COMSOL.
 Then I selected the wizard model.I selected first 2D model
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 2D model I selected the conductor first then added insulation and a protective outer
layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and polypropylene for insulation and Sbr for
protective outer layer.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials. Then I added the electric
potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I built mesh structure and then pressed the computer button.
 Then I observed the 2D and 3D model in term of electric potential.
 I changed the expression of electric potential ‘V’ by es.normE for electric field ‘V/m’
 Then I observed the electric field V/m model for 2D.
 Then I observed the graphs of electric potential and electric field for 2D model
 As I completed my experiment.

3D Model

Procedure:

 First I opened the COMSOL. Then I selected the wizard model. I selected first 3D model.
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 3D model I selected the conductor first then added insulation and a protective outer
layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and polypropylene for insulation and Sbr for
protective outer layer.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials. Then I added the electric
potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I observed the 2D and 3D model in term of electric potential.
 I changed the expression of electric potential ‘V’ by es.normE for electric field ‘V/m’
 Then I observed the electric field V/m model for 3D model.
 Then I observed all graphs and completed my experiment
Conclusion:

 I became familiar with COMSOL and its working

 I became familiar with electric potential and electric field
 I observed the electric potential ‘V’ and electric field ‘V/m’ 2d and 3D models.
 In electric potential model, I observed the potential is maximum at conductor and then
decreases in insulations.
 Form the ‘V/m’ graph I became familiar with how much the outer layer has good
insulation.
 Lab Report 3

Compare the electric field distribution performance of different insulations in

underground high voltage cables using COMSOL

Apparatus:

 Laptop
 Comsol multiphysics 5.1

Theory

Electric potential:

It is defined as, An electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit positive charge
from a reference point to a specific point inside the field without producing any acceleration. Its
SI unit is Volts ‘ V ’.

Electric field:

An electric field is the physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts force
on all other charged particles in the field, either attracting or repelling them. It also refers to the
physical field for a system of charged particles. Units for the electric field
are volts per meter (V/m). The study of electric fields created by stationary charges is
called electrostatics.

Components:

The components I selected for y experiment are;

 Geometry
 Materials
 Physics
Geometry choose:

3 layers have been chosen

 Inner conductor
 Protective outer layer

Materials choose:

 Copper
 PVC
 Polypropylene
 Polyethylene

Physics chose:

The selected physics is Electrostatics.

2D Model

Procedure:

 First I install the COMSOL multiphysics 5.1, than I opened the COMSOL.
 Then I selected the wizard model. I selected first 2D model.
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 2D model I selected the conductor first then added a protective outer layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene for
protective outer layer one by one.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials.
 Then I added the electric potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I built mesh structure and then pressed the computer button.
 Then I observed the 2D models in term of electric potential.
 I changed the expression of electric potential ‘V’ by es.normE for electric field ‘V/m’
 Then I observed the electric field V/m models for 2D.
 Then I observed the graphs of electric potential and electric field for 2D models
 I repeated the all steps again for other remaining 2 materials.
 Then I export the graph data to MATLAB software and observed the 2 comparison
graphs. 2 of ‘V’ & ‘V/m’ for 2D.
 As I completed my experiment.

3D Model

Procedure:

 First I install the COMSOL multiphysics 5.1, than I opened the COMSOL.
 Then I selected the wizard model. I selected first 3D model.
 Then in physics I added the electrostatics and in study I selected stationary.
 In the 3D model I selected the conductor first then added a protective outer layer.
 In materials I selected copper for conductor and PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene for
protective outer layer one by one.
 Then I added the relative permittivity of these materials.
 Then I added the electric potential and ground from electrostatics.
 Then I applied electric potential at copper surface and ground at protective outer layer.
 Then I built mesh structure and then pressed the computer button.
 Then I observed the 3D models in term of electric potential.
 I changed the expression of electric potential ‘V’ by es.normE for electric field ‘V/m’
 Then I observed the electric field V/m models for 3D.
 Then I observed the graphs of electric potential and electric field for 3D models
 I repeated the all steps again for other remaining 2 materials.
 Then I export the graph data to MATLAB software and observed the 2 comparison
graphs. 2 of ‘V’ & ‘V/m’ for 3D models.
 As I completed my experiment.
Conclusion:
 I became familiar with COMSOL and its working
 I became familiar with high voltage cable insulations.
 I observed the electric potential ‘V’ and electric field ‘V/m’ 2d and 3D models.
 In electric potential model, I observed the potential is maximum at conductor and then
decreases in insulations.
 Form the ‘V/m’ graph I became familiar with how much the outer layer has good
insulation.
 If more distortions are in V/m graph then the insulation quality is not good.
 I observed the comparison between the insulations and noticed that the PP has better
insulation than others.