Display Results Window
Overview
This module performs the complex calculations of grid electrical performance and displays plots for analysis.
Calculate
Press Calculate to determine the grid electrical performance and voltage plots. This will display the Summary of inputs window.
Grid impedance
Sinusoidal mode: Displays the calculated grid impedance as a complex number in polar format.
Transient mode (Professional edition): Displays the maximum grid impedance from the transient response as a complex number in polar format.
Grid voltage rise
Sinusoidal mode: Displays the calculated grid voltage rise as a complex number in polar format. Grid Potential Rise (GPR) = Fault current * Grid impedance.
Transient mode (Professional edition): Displays the maximum grid potential rise from the transient response in kV.
Plot views
3D – Potential plots are displayed in three (X-Y-Z) dimensions.
2D – Potential plots are displayed in two (X-Y) dimensions.
Zoom reset – Fits the plot back to original size.
Save plot – Saves the potential plots images.
Profiles to plot – The user can choose to plot the Rectangle or Line profiles defined in Safety Criteria.
Additional functions for Transient mode:
Pop-out: Opens a pop-out window for Input Waveform that can be used to help you to compare against the voltage responses.
Plot resolution: Higher plot resolution will draw the calculated results at more points in time.
Plot display controls
Show grid – Checking this box results in plotting the grid underneath of the respective potential plot.
Exceeding limit – Checking this box results in only those potentials which exceed the associated Safety Threshold being displayed.
When Exceeding limit is True and no voltages (colours) are displayed there are no unsafe areas.
Voltage limit – These are entered as custom voltage limits by the user or the safe limits are imported from the Safety Criteria module.
Number of colours – This control allows the user to set the total number of distinct colours for the plots (user can enter a value from 1 up to 30).
Report and PDF Underlay Tool
Press Report to generate a detailed PDF report. This will display the Report options window.
Press PDF tool to open the PDF underlay tool window.
Plots
Click the tabs to switch between the various calculated plots.
Sinusoidal mode
Surface Plot - These are the actual voltages at the voltage points defined in the Voltage Profile window at the ground surface/level. Surface voltages are highest near the buried earth grid and drop away with distance from the grid.
Touch Plot - These are touch voltages at the voltage points at the ground surface/level. Touch voltages exist where a person can be in contact with the earthing system conductors and they are calculated as the difference between the Grid Potential Rise and surface voltages.
Reach Touch Plot - These are touch voltages at the voltage points within the reach distance of segments. The touch voltages beyond on the reach distance are set to 0 V.
Step Plot - These are step voltages at the voltage points at the ground surface/level. Step voltages are defined as the difference in surface voltages between two points separated by a distance of 1 metre (the standard distance between the feet of a person standing on the ground). Because the feet of a person could be oriented in any direction (with respect to one fixed point being the voltage point) we calculate the maximum difference in surface voltage for the complete 360 degree rotation around that voltage point. Because this process of finding the maximum step voltages is time consuming and because step voltages are less of a concern compared with touch voltages we have made it optional to calculate step voltages (the option is available for the user to select in the Summary of inputs window).
Grid Plots - There are 3 main types of grid plots as follows.
The Leakage currents plot displays how the total fault current leaks into the soil on a per segment basis.
The Longitudinal currents plot displays the magnitude of the currents which flow along the conductors.
The Segment voltages plot displays the potential of the segment conductors in the earthing system.
Transient mode (Professional edition)
Input Waveform - This plot displays the current or voltage input waveform versus time.
Faulted Segment - This plot displays the transient voltage and impedance of the faulted segment.
Surface Plot - This animated plot displays the surface voltages at the voltage points defined in the Voltage Profile window at points in time during the transient.
Touch Plot - This animated plot displays the touch voltages at the voltage points defined in the Voltage Profile window at points in time during the transient. The reference for touch voltages is the GPR.
Grid Points - This plot displays the voltage and/or current at the grid points defined in the Voltage Profile window during the transient.